Greenpeace Urges G-8 Leaders to Adopt Binding Emissions Targets

Greenpeace called on the Group of Eight industrialized nations to adopt binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a day after United Nations Secretary- General Ban Ki-Moon said the group should discuss ``concrete measures'' to address climate change at its meeting next week.

Greenpeace wants the G-8 to commit to cutting emissions by at least 30 percent from 1990 levels by 2020 and by as much as 90 percent by 2050, according to a statement on its Web site.

``Renewables and increased efficiency are key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, not the false and misleading claims of 'clean' coal or expensive and dangerous nuclear power,'' Greenpeace said in the statement.

Emission reductions are crucial to avoid the worst effects of climate change, including rising sea levels and increased droughts, the UN and the International Energy Agency have said. G-8 environment ministers pledged to cut emissions by half by 2050 in a statement after talks in Japan on May 26.

The proposals, including funding plans, are in a draft agreement approved at a June 23 conference in Seoul by delegates from 16 countries that account for about 80 percent of the greenhouse gases released worldwide. They didn't agree on specific limits on emissions.

Ban told diplomats at a breakfast seminar in Seoul yesterday that G-8 leaders have a ``historical responsibility'' to support carbon emission targets when they meet in Hokkaido, Japan, for three days from July 7. Ban will attend the summit as an observer.

Japan must commit to a 25 percent to 40 percent reduction in its emissions by 2020 ``to be a credible summit host,'' Greenpeace said in the statement.

No `Concrete Promises'

``I don't think we will hear any concrete promises, especially from the U.S.,'' said Mauricio Bermudez, a senior analyst at Point Carbon in London, in an interview in Spanish with Bloomberg television yesterday.

Leaders of the world's richest nations must also increase investment in developing ``climate change-resilient farming'' to ensure food security, Greenpeace said.

The Group of Eight includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.