TOKYO, Jul. 4, 2009 (Kyodo News International) -- A multilateral forum on climate change is set to call for a 50 percent global emissions cut by 2050, with industrialized nations reducing greenhouse gas emissions at least 80 percent within the time frame, according to a draft of its declaration obtained Saturday by Kyodo News.
The draft, to be adopted at the summit meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate to be held on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit next week in Italy, notes that it is ''aware of the broad scientific view that the increase in global average temperature above pre-industrial levels ought not to exceed 2 degrees C.''
The draft was apparently referring to a proposal by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that developed countries cut emissions 25-40 percent from 1990 levels by 2020 to keep temperatures below a 2 C rise, which some economists and environmentalists see as a threshold for dangerous climate change involving water scarcity, coastal flooding and infectious diseases.
Based on this recognition, the MEF leaders ''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,'' the document says.
But the draft does not mention specific targets involving mid-term emissions reduction goals by 2020 for advanced nations.
G-8 leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States are considering adopting a declaration of their own that would include similar long-term emissions reduction goals for 2050, according to diplomatic sources.
Such action is expected to provide momentum in international negotiations to create a carbon-capping framework to succeed the 1997 Kyoto Protocol that expires in 2012 by the end of this year.
But the sources said some emerging countries such as China and India have shown reluctance to the 50 percent global emission reduction goal while Russia has frowned on the goal for industrialized nations to cut emissions 80 percent.
Negotiators of MEF members -- the G-8 countries, the European Union, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea -- are expected to meet in Italy in the lead-up to their leaders' meeting Thursday, the middle day of the three-day G-8 summit, and work on finalizing the draft.
''Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time,'' the draft says. ''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.''
The leaders will also pledge to ''dramatically increase and coordinate public sector investments in research, development and demonstration of transformational low-carbon technologies, with a view to doubling such investments by 2015.''
They will show support toward the launch of ''fast start'' funding to help developing countries in working out low-carbon growth plans as well as help the ''poorest and most vulnerable'' come up with adaptation strategies, with the initial scope of the fund proposed at $400 million, according to the draft.
