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United States, Europe strike deal on future climate talks
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  • BUENOS AIRES (AFP) Dec 18, 2004
    Europe and the United States reached a compromise late Friday at the UN climate change conference on future efforts to reduce harmful greenhouse gases, according to a draft text of the deal obtained by AFP.

    The two sides have been at loggerheads for two weeks on convening informal meetings to discuss what must be done once the Kyoto protocol expires.

    The European Union wanted several informal meetings over the next year on strengthening the international fight against climate change.

    The United States insisted on a single meeting at which participants would only exchange information on the environment policies of different countries.

    The compromise struck Friday calls for a single meeting, in May 2005, as the United States had wanted.

    But, in keeping with European wishes, the meeting will last several days, and the future of climate change negotiations will be up for discussion.

    The meeting will "promote an informal exchange of information" on actions related to cutting harmful emissions and adapting to climate change, according to the draft text of the deal.

    The goal will be to assist countries to "continue to develop effective and appropriate responses to climate change," the text said.

    Participants will also discuss "policies and measures adopted by their respective governments in support of implementation of their existing commitments under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol."

    The reference is to two UN climate treaties, the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to which the United States is a party, and the 1997 Kyoto pact, which the United States has refused to ratify.

    Saudi Arabia's representatives were holding out on formal adoption of the compromise late Friday, the final day of a conference attended by representatives of 160 countries that kicked off on December 6.

    The Saudis regularly block climate negotiations, demanding compensation for the progressive disappearance of their oil riches and the effort by industrialized countries to reduce dependence on oil, a key source of carbon dioxide.

    Official talks on measures to follow the Kyoto protocol, which goes into effect in February and runs until 2012, are to start in November next year.

    Kyoto commits industrialised countries who signed it to trimming output of six "greenhouse" gases, especially carbon dioxide, by at least 5.2 percent by 2012, compared with 1990 levels.

    But scientists say that reductions of around 60 percent are urgently needed to avoid wreaking potentially catastrophic damage to the environment.

    The Europeans see it as essential to get the United States and major emerging economies such as China and India on board on a new agreement on reducing greenhouse gases that would follow the Kyoto pact.

    The United States, the source of 23 percent of the world's greenhouse gases, has not shown much interest in negotiations.

    Emerging industrial giants may be hesitant to sign on to international efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions, for fear they could throw the brakes on their own economic growth.




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