G-8 and Developing Nations Differ Over Emissions Cuts

JONATHAN WEISMAN

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President Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy spoke during the G-8 summit in L'Aquila on Wednesday.

L'AQUILA, Italy -- The leaders of the Group of Eight leading nations agreed Wednesday to slash emissions of heat-trapping gases by 80% by 2050 and to hold global warming to less than two degrees Celsius.

But the G-8's failure to agree on shorter-term emissions-cutting targets and a firm amount of aid for developing countries led a larger group of nations to decide to drop numerical targets.

The leaders of the 17-nation Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, chaired by U.S. President Barack Obama, will also acknowledge Thursday the "broad scientific view" that global warming must not be allowed to exceed two degrees Celsius, according to European negotiators and a person close to the talks. But the forum is expected to delay an agreement on hard caps until a December climate-change conference in Copenhagen, these officials said.

Nevertheless, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called the G-8 decision a "historic agreement" and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it was "a clear step forward," the Associated Press reported.

Inside the G-8 Summit

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President Obama on Wednesday greeted European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, left, as world leaders looked on at the G-8 Summit in L'Aquila, Italy.

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"After a long struggle, all of the G-8 nations have finally accepted the two degree goal. From the United States of America to Japan and Europe, everyone will work on this goal," Ms. Merkel told reporters.

A draft climate-change statement from the Major Economies Forum had promised a global 50% reduction in the emissions that cause global warming by 2050, with the developed nations promising an 80% cut by then. While G-8 leaders agreed to such cuts, developing countries such as India and China balked, worrying that Europe, North America and Japan weren't serious about meeting their commitments, these officials added.

That worry was fueled by continuing disagreement over how much developed economies will pledge in aid to help poorer countries' transition from polluting energy sources, such as coal. The draft statement promised $400 million to the effort, but it still didn't have a sign-off, a day before the forum was to meet.

Thursday's Major Economies Forum is one of a series of meetings planned at the G-8 summit of the eight leading nations.

Michael Froman, the U.S. "sherpa," or aide, at the G-8 summit, said the Major Economies Forum would deal with climate-change targets, mitigation of global warming, adaptation for poor countries and financing.

The draft climate-change statement represents "a significant step forward in terms of adding political momentum" before the Copenhagen meeting, where global leaders hope to reach agreement on a follow-on treaty to the Kyoto Accords, Mr. Froman said. "But there is a lot of work to be done."