G8 leaders agreed Friday to start a new series of talks on climate change that will bring together big polluters, including the US and China, with the aim of finding a replacement for the Kyoto treaty, which expires in 2012.
But the action plan contains no substantial pledges of financial investment in low-carbon technologies or assistance for developing countries.
The communique, watered down to meet US objections to legally binding targets for emission cuts, states: "Uncertainty remains in our understanding of climate change, but we know enough to put ourselves on a path to slow and, as science justifies, stop and then reverse the growth of greenhouse gases."
PHOTO: AP
Tony Blair defended the settlement, saying he had found a way of bringing the US back into discussions with the rest of the world over the issue.
"My fear is that if we do not bring the US into the consensus on tackling climate change, we will never ensure the huge emerging economies, particularly China and India, are part of a dialogue," he said.
"If we do not have the US, India and China as part of that dialogue, there is no possibility of succeeding in resolving this issue."
He had established "an agreement that climate change is a problem, human activity is contributing to it and we have to tackle it with urgency," and won agreement that "we have to slow down, stop and reverse greenhouse gas emissions."
The Bush administration has been isolated since it refused to sign up to legally binding targets set out in the Kyoto treaty. The US fears competitive disadvantage and favors relying on carbon-cutting technology and transfer of technology to developing economies.
The G8 agreed yesterday that a dialogue would start with a meeting in London in November to set out details of implementation. A progress report will be delivered during Japan's presidency in 2008.
The communique states: "It is in our interests to work together and in partnership with major emerging economies to find ways to achieve substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, improving the global environment, enhancing energy security, including the promotion of low-emitting systems."
After pressure from the French, the communique also contains strong commitments to the UN-led policy of meeting targets set in the Kyoto treaty: "We acknowledge that the UN framework climate change convention is the appropriate forum for negotiating the future of the multilateral regime on climate change."
It continues: "Those of us who have ratified the Kyoto protocol welcome its entry into force and will work to make it a success."
This phrasing leaves open whether Kyoto will continue after 2012 in its current form. Negotiations on this issue are to resume in Montreal in December.
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