Thursday, July 17, 2008
Group of Eight wants broad United Nations deal to halve emissions
T he G8 rich countries said on July 8 they want to work with the nearly 200 states involved in U.N. climate change talks to adopt a goal of at least halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The final climate communique agreed by the Group of Eight leaders at a summit in northern Japan also said mid-term goals would be needed to achieve the shared goal for 2050, but gave no numerical targets.
The statement puts the focus of fighting global warming on U.N.-led talks to create a new framework for when the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012, and papers over differences inside the G8 itself. The U.N. talks are set to conclude in Copenhagen in December 2009.
The careful wording of the statement -always the most contentious part of summit negotiations -- was also unlikely to satisfy those seeking much more specific targets.
Last year, the G8 club of rich nations -Japan, Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Russia and the United States -- agreed merely to "seriously consider" a goal of halving global emissions by mid-century.
The European Union and Japan have been pressing for this year's summit to go beyond that, and Brussels wanted clear interim targets as well.
But U.S. President George W. Bush has insisted that Washington cannot agree to binding targets unless big polluters such as China and India rein in their emissions as well.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
The final climate communique agreed by the Group of Eight leaders at a summit in northern Japan also said mid-term goals would be needed to achieve the shared goal for 2050, but gave no numerical targets.
The statement puts the focus of fighting global warming on U.N.-led talks to create a new framework for when the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012, and papers over differences inside the G8 itself. The U.N. talks are set to conclude in Copenhagen in December 2009.
The careful wording of the statement -always the most contentious part of summit negotiations -- was also unlikely to satisfy those seeking much more specific targets.
Last year, the G8 club of rich nations -Japan, Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Russia and the United States -- agreed merely to "seriously consider" a goal of halving global emissions by mid-century.
The European Union and Japan have been pressing for this year's summit to go beyond that, and Brussels wanted clear interim targets as well.
But U.S. President George W. Bush has insisted that Washington cannot agree to binding targets unless big polluters such as China and India rein in their emissions as well.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: Canada, emissions, France, G8, Germany, greenhouse gas, india, Italy, Japan, President George W. Bush, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UN deal, United Nation, United states
Sunday, May 11, 2008
United Nations food agency suspends aid flights: 1.5 million victims
The U.N. food agency suspended aid flights to cyclone struck Myanmar on May 9 after the military government seized two deliveries at Yangon airport, apparently determined to distribute supplies on its own.
The shipments of 38 tons of high-energy biscuits, enough to feed 95,000 people, were intended to be loaded on trucks and sent to the inundated Irrawaddy delta where most of the estimated 1.5 million victims need help.
"We're going to have to shut down our very small airlift operation until we get guarantees from the authorities that we'll be able to have the food when it arrives," U.N. World Food Program regional director Tony Banbury told CNN.
"I am furious. It is unacceptable."Governments around the world have been pressing Myanmar's ruling generals to open the country's borders to desperately-needed assistance and on May 9, Germany said it agreed with a proposal by France to use the U.N. Security Council.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
The shipments of 38 tons of high-energy biscuits, enough to feed 95,000 people, were intended to be loaded on trucks and sent to the inundated Irrawaddy delta where most of the estimated 1.5 million victims need help.
"We're going to have to shut down our very small airlift operation until we get guarantees from the authorities that we'll be able to have the food when it arrives," U.N. World Food Program regional director Tony Banbury told CNN.
"I am furious. It is unacceptable."Governments around the world have been pressing Myanmar's ruling generals to open the country's borders to desperately-needed assistance and on May 9, Germany said it agreed with a proposal by France to use the U.N. Security Council.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: cyclone nargis, France, Germany, help, Irrawaddy delta, Myanmar, people missing, suspended aid flights, Tony Banbury, U.N. food agency, U.N. World Food Program, victims, Yangon airport
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