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G8 ministers endorse greenhouse gas cuts by 2050

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-05-26 11:02

KOBE, Japan -- Environmental ministers from the world's top industrial countries say they have the political will to move toward cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050.

G-8 Environment Ministers from left Semen levi, deputy minister of ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of Russia, Ichiro Kamoshita of Japan, John Baird of Canada , Hilary Benn of Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of Britain, and Matthias Machnig, of Secretary State for the Environment of Germany, stand in front of Maps of 'Japanese environment technologies expanding to the world' as they visits the Environment Fair in Kobe western Japan Sunday, May 25, 2008. [Agencies]

However, the announcement Monday by ministers meeting in Japan stopped short of setting a more contentious goal of slashing emissions by 2020.

The G8 statement said that rich nations have the responsibility to take the lead in cutting emissions. The statement is aimed at setting the stage for the Group of Eight summit in Japan in July.

Some G8 members had pushed for a commitment on a 2020 target.