Clean Tech Vital

G8 nations agree on need for emissions cuts

11:44 08 June 2007 / NewScientist.com news service

After a stand-off lasting six years, Europe appears to (1)……… persuaded the US to re-engage with the world to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.In a joint statement from the meeting of G8 industrialised nations in Heiligendamm, Germany, world leaders agree (2)…….. the need for "substantial global emissions reductions" to fight climate change. In a single reference to specific targets, George W. Bush commits the US to "consider seriously" matching pledges by the European Union, Japan and Canada to cut (3)…………….. by at least 50% by 2050. But the declaration is much vaguer on the near-term targets needed after the Kyoto protocol (4)………………. in 2012. It says: "We agree (5)……..the need (6)………. frameworks that will accelerate action over the next decade." However, an EU proposal for 20% emissions cut by 2020 has been left (7)………...

The G8 nations represent 13% of the world’s (8)…………………, but are responsible (9)………. 43% of greenhouse-gas emissions. The US reiterates that it would not accept national targets until major industrialising nations like China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa agree to their own emissions limits – something China rejected only days ago.But Bush has backed (10)………. his pre-summit suggestion that future negotiations should take place outside the United Nations framework. The statement "acknowledges that the UN climate process is the appropriate forum for negotiations," says the UN’s chief negotiator, Yvo de Boer.

The call (11)…….. agreement on a successor to the Kyoto protocol to be completed by 2009, would "re-energise" UN talks, he says, which stalled last December in Nairobi, Kenya. They resume in Bali, Indonesia, in December 2007. "This is a breakthrough," de Boer says, "and will send important signals on the readiness of industrialised nations and emerging economies to act.

II. Use the words given on the right to form the words that fit in the space in the same line.

Scientists agree. "It is a positive step that has (1)__________________ acknowledgement

that the UN is the way forward," says Phil Jones, director

of climate research at the University of East Anglia, UK.

He also supports the leaders' (2)__________________ to more research commit

and development into clean technologies. "Technology is a key

to (3)_____________________ climate change," the joint communique master

says. It stresses the (4)____________________ of "creating important

(5)____________________ market conditions to accelerate support

(6)_________________________ “ of climate-friendly energy technologies. commerse

One of the changes in the US stance is its apparent (7)_________________ accept

that national targets are a way to do that. But some (8)__________________ environment

say that, in practical terms, the statement hardly differs from the text

of the 1992 climate change convention, five years before the Kyoto protocol.

That committed the US to acting to prevent "(9)______________________ danger

climate change", but without specific targets. Greenpeace has taken

the toughest line in Germany: "An agreement without targets is (10)__________ bare

worth the paper it is written on."

III. Fill in the gaps with the most appropriate words.

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