APEC backs off on emissions cut target

The United States and Japan agreed on Friday they would aim to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050 and back a global goal to halve emissions by mid-century.

Both are also APEC members and new Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has vowed to cut Japan's emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020 — if other major emitters such as China sign up to an ambitious U.N. deal to fight climate change.

Peaking Emissions

The initial APEC draft leader's statement said “global emissions will need to ... be reduced to 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.”

The latest draft says: “We believe that global emissions will need to peak over the next few years, and be substantially reduced by 2050, recognising that the timeframe for peaking will be longer in developing economies”.

In July, the G8 failed to get major developing nations China and India to sign up to the goal of halving world greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Conservation group WWF said this week it was doubtful the minus 50 percent goal would be in the final APEC declaration.

“Normally it doesn't survive in these kinds of circumstances,” said Kim Carstensen, head of WWF's global climate initiative.

He was referring to past objections from China and other big developing nations on adopting a 2050 emissions target unless rich nations adopt a 2020 target as well.

Developing countries blame rich nations for most of mankind's greenhouse gas pollution to date and say they should make major reductions first.

The APEC draft doesn't mention a 2020 target but does retain a goal of limiting the global average temperature increase to within 2 degrees Celsius.

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