BERLIN -- The U.S. has done the least among the world's eight largest economies to address global warming, a study released Thursday found. The G-8 Climate Scorecards 2008, released Thursday ahead of next week's gathering of the Group of Eight on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, also found that none of the eight countries are making improvements large enough to prevent temperature increases that scientists think would cause catastrophic climate changes. The gathering includes the heads of states of the U.S., Japan, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Russia. Regine Guenther, director of the World Wildlife Fund Climate Change Program in Germany, told reporters in the German capital that G-8 leaders should commit to reducing emissions in their countries 40 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050.
BERLIN -- The U.S. has done the least among the world's eight largest economies to address global warming, a study released Thursday found.
The G-8 Climate Scorecards 2008, released Thursday ahead of next week's gathering of the Group of Eight on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, also found that none of the eight countries are making improvements large enough to prevent temperature increases that scientists think would cause catastrophic climate changes.
The gathering includes the heads of states of the U.S., Japan, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Russia.
Regine Guenther, director of the World Wildlife Fund Climate Change Program in Germany, told reporters in the German capital that G-8 leaders should commit to reducing emissions in their countries 40 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050.
A new study published Thursday says none of the leading industrialized nations have come close to meeting their promises to slash greenhouse gas emissions, with the US, Canada and Russia trailing especially far behind. Compiled by environmental group WWF and international financial services provider Allianz and released four days prior to the G8 summit in Japan, the study called "G8 Climate Scorecards" found that all the leading industrialized countries had failed to make improvements large enough to prevent temperature increases that scientists think would cause catastrophic climate changes. "None of the eight leading industrial nations have taken sufficient measures needed to be considered in line with the target to limit a worldwide increase in temperatures to 2 degrees centigrade," Niklas Hoehne, author of the study said. At last year's G8 summit in Germany, leaders from the US, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Canada and Russia reached agreement on considering a goal to halve global emissions by 2050.
Compiled by environmental group WWF and international financial services provider Allianz and released four days prior to the G8 summit in Japan, the study called "G8 Climate Scorecards" found that all the leading industrialized countries had failed to make improvements large enough to prevent temperature increases that scientists think would cause catastrophic climate changes.
"None of the eight leading industrial nations have taken sufficient measures needed to be considered in line with the target to limit a worldwide increase in temperatures to 2 degrees centigrade," Niklas Hoehne, author of the study said.
At last year's G8 summit in Germany, leaders from the US, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Canada and Russia reached agreement on considering a goal to halve global emissions by 2050.
