G8 summit in Germany
USA don't want to sign up to firm targets to combat global warming
Washington is demanding that all quantitative targets for combating global warming be remowed from a G8 draft communique prepared by the Germans and wants also all references to the December UN Bali meeting deleted.
The US resistance to emissions limits has diminished hopes that the summit can pave the way for negotations to expand and extend the Kyoto Protocol on climate change beyond 2012. Furthermore Japan refused yesterday to follow the EU line on how to establish a new international regime after 2012. Japan said it couldn't accept a 2009 target for the completion of the talks to establish a new regime.
The US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi was also in Germany yesterday as part of a European tour to highlight concerns about climate change in the US Congress. She urged G. Bush to compromise with the other G8 members and made it clear that she backed German Chancellor A. Merkel against Bush. She said US legislators would soon be passing new legislation on climate change.
A last attempt to forge a compromise on climate change will be made 2 days before the summit.
