Despite major divisions regarding the best way to tackle climate change, industrialised countries at the UN conference in Vienna agreed, on 31 August, that greenhouse-gas emissions should be reduced by 25 to 40% by 2020, based on 1990 levels.
The 25-40% range "provides useful initial parameters for the overall level of ambition of further emissions reductions", delegates stated.
The declaration fell short of calls by the European Union and developing nations for the range to be called a "guide" for future negotiations, notably due to resistance from Canada, Japan and Russia, which feared that such a term could be used to commit them to binding cuts in the future.
Nevertheless, government delegations officially recognised the findings of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that emissions of greenhouse gases would "need to peak in the next 10 to 15 years and then be reduced to very low levels, well below half of levels in 2000 by mid-century", if the world is to avoid facing an increased number of droughts, floods and severe storms.
The debate on the best way to tackle climate change however remained largely polarised between the EU, which has itself already committed to a binding 30% emissions reduction goal by 2020 and wants Kyoto's successor to set clear, binding targets, and the United States, which prefers a voluntary, technology-driven approach.
Green groups further suspect the US of attempting to sidetrack Kyoto by organising a meeting on 27-28 September, which will bring together 15 countries, including the EU, Russia, China, India and Brazil, together representing 82% of the global economy and 90% of the world's greenhouse gases.
Indeed, the meeting could see the EU isolated among the US and emerging economies that are unwilling to commit to any binding cuts that could imperil their economic growth.
