EU disappointed at climate plans from developed nations

(BRUSSELS) - The European Union on Wednesday voiced disappointment at the level of climate change measures being promised by richer nations, warning that they fall short of the ambition needed.

"The aggregate offers from developed countries still fall well short of the level of ambition needed, so I urge those countries with weak targets to improve them," EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said.

Europe would like to see developed nations reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25-40 percent by 2020 from 1990 levels, in order to limit global warming to two degrees centigrade.

So far the tally stands at an average of 13.3 percent cuts, and that includes a plan for 20 percent reductions in from EU nations.

"The European Union has set the pace with our unilateral commitment to cut emissions 20 percent by 2020," said EU Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso.

"We will be ready to scale up our emission reduction to 30 percent provided our partners in both the developed and the developing world take on their fair share of the global effort."

Brussels also called for real action rather than just promised figures.

"Given the slow progress made in the negotiations to date, and a lack of consensus about the shape of the eventual agreement, it is now unlikely that the treaty can be finalised in Copenhagen as originally planned," the commission warned in a statement.

International climate change talks begin in Copenhagen next week, with expectations dropping as the negotiations near.

The EU's goal at the conference is therefore "to make as much progress as possible towards a full treaty and to reach an ambitious and comprehensive political agreement covering all its key elements as well as a fast start' deal," to help te developing world.

So far among industrialised countries outside the EU the United States says it will offer to cut emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, deepening to 30 percent by 2025, 42 percent by 2030 and 83 percent by 2050.

The 2020 target entails a fall of four percentage points compared to 1990, the benchmark year widely used as the interim target in the UN process.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has reportedly agreed to a cut of 20-25 percent by 2020 from 1990 levels, raising its target from 15 percent.

Japan provisionally offers a cut of 25 percent by 2020 relative to 1990, while Canada foresees a reduction of 20 percent by 2020 compared to 2006, equivalent to a fall of three percent compared to the 1990 benchmark.

Norway says it is willing to reduce emissions by 30 percent by 2020 over 1990 levels, and to consider going to 30 or 40 percent, with the aim of being carbon neutral by 2030.

Copenhagen climate conference - EU objectives