A multilateral forum on climate change is all set to call for a 50 per cent cut on global emissions by 2050 and an 80 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for industrialised nations, according to a draft declaration obtained by Kyodo News.
The draft will be adopted next week at the summit meeting of the Major Economies Forum (MEF) on Energy and Climate to be held on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit in Italy.
The proposal apparently refers to a UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change guidelines that developed countries should cut emissions by 25-40 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020 to keep temperatures below a 2 C rise.
"We are aware of the broad scientific view that the increase in global average temperature above pre-industrial levels ought not to exceed 2 degrees Celsius," the draft read.
Based on this recognition, the MEF leaders "support an aspirational global goal of reducing global emissions by 50 per cent by 2050, with developed countries reducing emissions by at least 80 percent by 2050," the document added.
Negotiators of MEF members, the G-8 countries which include EU, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, SAfrica and SKorea, are expected to meet in Italy in and work on finalising the draft.
"Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time," the draft noted.
"As leaders of the world's major economies, we intend to respond vigorously to this challenge, being convinced that climate change poses a clear danger requiring an extraordinary global response," it added.
