Leaders of the G8 leading industrial countries have agreed to try to limit global warming to just 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial levels by 2050.The summit, in the earthquake-hit Italian city of L'Aquila, also agreed tough new carbon emissions cuts. It says developed nations should cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, with the rest of the world making a 50% reduction by the same date. Analysts say there is no indication of how the targets, or costs, will be met. The summit agenda is also expected to include food security, North Korea and Iran.
Leaders of the G8 leading industrial countries have agreed to try to limit global warming to just 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial levels by 2050.
The summit, in the earthquake-hit Italian city of L'Aquila, also agreed tough new carbon emissions cuts.
It says developed nations should cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, with the rest of the world making a 50% reduction by the same date.
Analysts say there is no indication of how the targets, or costs, will be met.
The summit agenda is also expected to include food security, North Korea and Iran.
Hopes of a deal on climate change at the Group of Eight industrialised nations summit in Italy were today hanging by a thread. As world leaders sat down for a working lunch at the start of a three day meeting of the G8, it emerged that negotiations had failed to reach agreement on halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Summit negotiators, who do the hard bargaining before the heads of state arrive to complete the agreements, failed to make progress on the issue in talks that continued late last night. China and India are understood to have blocked any mention of the target in the draft communiqué, insisting that the developed economies should promise to cut their own emissions sharply by 2020 before asking developing nations to commit to a long term target. The breakdown in negotiations has undermined President Obama's chances of producing a diplomatic coup when he chairs talks on climate change at a meeting of the 17-nation Major Economies Forum tomorrow.
Hopes of a deal on climate change at the Group of Eight industrialised nations summit in Italy were today hanging by a thread.
As world leaders sat down for a working lunch at the start of a three day meeting of the G8, it emerged that negotiations had failed to reach agreement on halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Summit negotiators, who do the hard bargaining before the heads of state arrive to complete the agreements, failed to make progress on the issue in talks that continued late last night. China and India are understood to have blocked any mention of the target in the draft communiqué, insisting that the developed economies should promise to cut their own emissions sharply by 2020 before asking developing nations to commit to a long term target.
The breakdown in negotiations has undermined President Obama's chances of producing a diplomatic coup when he chairs talks on climate change at a meeting of the 17-nation Major Economies Forum tomorrow.
