Leaders of Japan and the EU called yesterday for “highly ambitious and binding” global targets in the fight against climate change, amid slow-moving talks on a post-Kyoto treaty.“Japan and the EU stress that a highly ambitious and binding international approach is required to deal with the scale and urgency of the climate change challenge,” a joint statement from the leaders at a summit said.
Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and EU leaders including European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso held talks in Tokyo ahead of July’s G8 summit.
Japan, the host of the G8 summit, hopes to use the event to shape the course of negotiations on a pact on global warming to cover the period after 2012, when the Kyoto Protocol’s obligations on slashing greenhouse gases expire.
Barroso hailed the joint statement as a “convergence” in positions between the EU and Japan.
“What we reached today was very important. There must be binding targets,” Barroso told a joint press conference with Fukuda.
But the Japan-EU statement did not give a specific figure for binding cuts.
The EU has proposed global emission reductions of 25 percent to 40 percent by 2020 from 1990 levels in a bid to stem global warming, which UN scientists warn could put millions of people at risk by century’s end.
Japan has joined the US in saying it is too early to take up numbers for future emission cuts, in negotiations aimed at meeting a UN-backed deadline to come up with a post-Kyoto deal by the end of next year.
But stung by environmentalists’ criticism, Japan said earlier this year that it would set its own national target for emissions reductions after 2012.
The joint statement said Fukuda and EU leaders “share the view that setting mid-term quantified national emissions reduction targets is an essential element of such a framework” to fight global warming.
Japan is far behind in meeting its Kyoto obligations as its economy recovers from a recession.
The US is the only major industrial nation to reject Kyoto, with President George W. Bush arguing that it is too costly and unfair to make no demands of fast-growing emerging economies.
But all three candidates to succeed Bush have pledged tougher action against global warming. The UN climate chief, Yvo de Boer, has said that a decision on the next global goal in emissions cuts would likely wait until the next US administration takes office in January.
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
RSS