Climate target eludes Japan-EU
Japan and the European Union failed to agree on Wednesday on a "mid-term' target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, but will go into the G8 talks this summer with a closely matched position that contrasts sharply with that of the US. The governments agreed that national "mid-term' emission cutting targets should be set, but Japan was unwilling to specify a year. The EU has agreed to cut its emissions by 20 per cent by 2020, and had urged Japan to agree the same. Both sides agree that emissions should be halved by 2050, in line with scientific warnings on climate change.