Major Economies Zero In on Climate Goals
By Andrew C. Revkin
Reuters has a useful update on the latest meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, which concluded yesterday in Cuernavaca, Mexico. The article cites a draft two-page text circulated at the meeting, which appears to indicate movement toward long-term (2050) and near-term (2020) steps to curb emissions of greenhouse gases — although with all of the soft language required to get both developing and rich countries on board.
According to Reuters, the text says, “We support an aspirational global goal of reducing global emissions by 50 percent by 2050, with developed countries reducing emissions by at least 80 percent by 2050.”
Developed countries would take “robust aggregate and individual mid-term reductions in the 2020 time frame.” In that same span, developing countries would make a “significant deviation from business as usual” to slow a rise in their emissions while still pursuing an end to poverty, according to Reuters.
The next stop for the forum, which was assembled by the Obama administration in a process created under President George W. Bush, comes on July 9 in Italy when leaders of participating countries gather at a meeting on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit of industrial powers.
President Obama has pledged repeatedly to make the United States a leader in efforts to craft a new climate treaty this year. Look for a strong final push from his climate team to get some meaningful language adopted in July.