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The Financial Times reports that George W. Bush
has said that he was prepared to be 'constructive'
in discussions on climate change at the G8 meeting in
Japan.
However, he insisted that any agreement was contingent
on the participation of China and India.
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The Group of Eight leaders, who began a three-day summit
in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Monday, are seeking to advance
from last year�s commitment at Heiligendamm, when they pledged
to 'consider seriously' halving greenhouse gas emissions
by 2050. Some G8 leaders would like that statement upgraded
to 'agree to halve emissions', though the US has been
reluctant to commit.
On Monday the G8 met African leaders for discussions which
focused on finding solutions to the crisis caused by sharp
rises in food prices. Japanese officials said leaders might
consider proposals to create stockpiles of grain that could
be released in a co-ordinated way to stabilise prices.
The summit - the biggest in G8 history with leaders of 14
countries outside the group invited - will discuss what Kazuo
Kodama, press secretary of Japan�s foreign ministry, described
as a �nexus of interrelated issues�. These are expected to
include rising oil prices, the financial crisis and ways of
preventing nuclear proliferation, even as the use of 'carbon-free'
nuclear energy becomes more attractive.
Jos� Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission,
said he would like G8 leaders to commit to carbon emission
cuts by 2020. �We will be working for real commitments from
this G8 - not only reinforcing ones taken last year, but also,
if possible, to go beyond that with a mid-term commitment.�
Mr Bush and Yasuo Fukuda, Japan�s prime minister, said on
Sunday that they would press big developing nations - particularly
China - to agree to carbon cuts as part of a global agreement
to succeed the Kyoto protocol, which expires in 2012.
After meeting his Japanese counterpart in Toyako, the site
of the summit, Mr Bush, said - �I�ve always advocated there
needs to be common understanding and that starts with a goal.
I am also realistic enough to tell you that, if China and
India don�t share the same aspiration, we�re not going to
solve the problem.�
China and India, both part of meetings at which climate change
will be discussed, have argued that they cannot be expected
to cut emissions before they have industrialised. Mr Fukuda
hopes to encourage concessions with cash and technology to
help their transition.
Although the Japanese leader has spoken about a convergence
of views on climate change, he has also sought to play down
expectations of a breakthrough at Toyako. Experts say significant
agreement is unlikely, largely because the deadline for a
post-Kyoto deal is still 18 months away.
Marthinus van Schalkywk, South Africa�s environment minister,
described a pledge to cut emissions in half by 2050 as an
�empty slogan�. Many experts are pressing for rich nations
to commit to cutting carbon emissions by 25-40 per cent by
2020.
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