Russia rejects G8 emissions cut target

August 20th, 2009 Australian Parliament sets renewable energy targetCANBERRA, Australia — Australia's Parliament passed a law Thursday requiring that 20 percent of the country's electricity come from renewable sources such as the sun and wind by 2020, matching European standards and up from about 8 percent now. The law would quadruple the renewable energy target set by the previous government in 2001 and provide enough clean electricity to power the households of all 21 million Australians.

August 20th, 2009 Australian Senate endorses renewable energy targetCANBERRA, Australia — Australia's Senate passed legislation Thursday to require that 20 percent of the country's electricity come from renewable sources such as the sun and wind by 2020, matching European standards and up from about 8 percent now. The bill is certain to be endorsed by the government-dominated House of Representatives later Thursday and become law.

August 10th, 2009 Climate talks resume with new emissions pledgesAMSTERDAM —Wealthy countries are not going far enough to control greenhouse gas emissions, activists said Monday as delegates from 180 nations resumed talks on a global climate change pact. Beginning a five-day meeting in Bonn, Germany, negotiators began trying to whittle down a 200-page draft into a workable treaty that will bring the world's carbon emissions under control over the next decade.

August 10th, 2009 New Zealand sets greenhouse gas emissions targetWELLINGTON, New Zealand —New Zealand announced on Monday that it will cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 10 to 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, the country's climate change minister said. The target, confirmed by the Cabinet, will be presented later Monday at an international climate change meeting in Bonn, Germany, Nick Smith said.

August 6th, 2009 China negotiator optimistic on climate treatyBEIJING — China's top climate envoy said Wednesday he is optimistic that upcoming negotiations will produce a new treaty to fight global warming, but said developed countries have slowed the process by not setting emission-reduction targets. The nature of global warming means the cost of failure is too high, Yu Qingtai told a news conference.

July 15th, 2009 US urges China to set 2050 emissions targetsBEIJING — China and other developing countries should join the United States in setting mid-century targets to cut carbon emissions in the battle against global warming, the U.S. energy secretary said Wednesday.

July 10th, 2009 L'AQUILA - The developing countries criticised the G-8 nations for not taking enough steps to curb global warming, dubbing the proposed long-term targets as meaningless. he larger developing nations said they wanted to see more credible mid term targets than long-term ambitious targets.

July 9th, 2009 L'AQUILA - The G8 or the world's most wealthy and developed countries have remained non-committal on setting targets for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, a demand being stressed by the emerging economies (G5) and other developing countries. Though the G8 and G5 came out with a joint declaration on various issues at this quake-hit Italian town, 100 km from Rome, the document neither set targets for reducing emissions nor any dateline.

July 9th, 2009 L'AQUILA - Developed countries comprising the G8 are unwilling to commit themselves to reducing greenhouse gas emissions drastically by 2020, despite scientists across the world and developing countries urging them to do so. With the issue of climate change becoming significant during the G8-G5 summit here, especially in the run-up to the UN climate change summit to be held in Copenhagen this December, emerging economies of the G5 are exerting pressure on the G8 to commit to earlier targets on reducing emissions.

July 5th, 2009 BRUSSELS - A year ago, the leaders of the world's eight leading industrialised nations promised that their children would fight climate change. This summer, they will have to show whether they are willing to do something about it themselves.

June 11th, 2009 BONN - It will be "physically impossible" to have a detailed deal to tackle climate change by this December's summit in Copenhagen, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer said here Wednesday. However, he hoped, the "Copenhagen (summit) will deliver clarity on key political issues in this debate, that there will be clarity on the extent industrialised countries will reduce their (GHG) emissions, and clarity on what major developing countries (including India) are willing to do to mitigate their emissions." He also hoped that there would be "clarity on financing developing countries" to help them mitigate their emissions and adapt to climate change, and that there would "clarity on the governance structure" to administer these funds.

June 10th, 2009 UN climate chief: Rich nations short on CO2 goalsBONN, Germany — Japan unveiled a new target Wednesday for reducing greenhouse gas emissions 15 percent by 2020, but the plan was slammed by environmentalists and the U.N. climate chief as leaving the industrial world dangerously short of its pollution goals.

May 30th, 2009 MANILA - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) expressed concern Saturday over the unabated increase of carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles in the region's developing countries. The Manila-based bank said that while developed countries are still responsible for the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector, emissions from developing countries in Asia are growing rapidly.

May 11th, 2009 Berlin court rejects Demjanjuk appealBERLIN — A Berlin court has rejected an appeal by suspected Nazi death camp guard John Demjanjuk aimed at preventing his deportation to Germany. An administrative court says Monday that it rejected Demjanjuk's argument that Germany should be compelled to withdraw its agreement to take him in.

May 4th, 2009 Australian leader delays pollution tax planCANBERRA, Australia — Australia's government has postponed its proposal to tax polluting industries until 2011 — a delay of one year — because of the economic slowdown and concerns it would hurt business, the prime minister said Monday. In a bid for support from the opposition Greens party, however, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he would seek more dramatic emissions cuts when his proposal is presented to the Senate for a vote in June.