G8 leaders agree climate change measures

The Group of Eight major powers have agreed to limit a rise in global temperatures and called for tough new carbon emission cuts.

The G8 says developed nations should cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, with the rest of the world making a 50% reduction.

Environmental campaigners fear emerging countries wont commit until there’s some indication of how the targets, or costs, will be met.

Kim Carstensen, director of the global climate initiative at WWF International, said: “What they don’t want to do is to commit to something in the long term, the minus 50 percent … without seeing what the rich countries are going to do themselves in terms of their reductions in the shorter term, and also what finance they will make available to developing countries for them to also commit to this action.”

The anti-poverty charity Oxfam has welcomed the G8’s move, but expressed concern that more needs to be done to help the world’s poor – those most affected by global warming.

Copyright © 2009 euronews

tags: Climate, G8 Summit, Italy