EU ministers want tough post-Kyoto emissions target

BRUSSELS - European Union environment ministers on Thursday proposed developed nations make sweeping cuts in their greenhouse gas emissions in the years following 2012, when the first period covered by the Kyoto Protocol ends.

Their recommendations go against those of the EU's executive Commission, which said last month it was too early to set post-2012 targets.

A statement agreed by the ministers said developing nations ought to aim for cuts "in the order of 15-30 per cent by 2020 and 60-80 per cent by 2050, compared to the levels envisaged in the Kyoto Protocol".

The proposals will be made to a meeting of top European leaders later this month.

The environment ministers said they wanted their countries to "send a strong political message" on climate change.

"The global nature of climate change calls for the widest possible cooperation by all countries and their participation in an effective, cost-efficient and appropriate international response," the statement said.

In February, the European Commission said it would not suggest setting targets now for lowering emissions after 2012 as it focused instead on pulling the United States and some developing nations into the climate change battle.

A Commission spokeswoman said, however, that the targets would be used in future negotiations.

The Kyoto Protocol aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by developed nations by 5.2 per cent of 1990 levels during the five-year period 2008-2012. The gasses are blamed for contributing to global warming.

The ministers did not set targets for the EU itself after that period and pointedly directed the goals to rich nations. Australia and the United States refused to ratify Kyoto.

Thursday's goals were a relief to environmentalists, who had feared the EU's leadership role on climate change was slipping after the Commission's failure to propose targets last month.

"WWF believes that this was a positive step, and that the European governments have shown that they will continue to take climate change very seriously," said Oliver Rapf, senior policy officer at environmental group WWF.

"One can assume that from that positive signal which they decided now, that the EU will also set itself a very ambitious reduction target for 2020."

Environmental group Greenpeace encouraged the EU to stick to the higher end of the proposed 2020 and 2050 goals in order to keep global temperatures from rising more than 2degC over pre-industrial levels.

- REUTERS