Yahoo News 10 Nov 07;
Sixteen Asia-Pacific countries will seek to expand their combined forests at least 15 million hectares (37 acres) by 2020 to help fight global warming, Kyodo News reported Saturday.
The countries are expected to adopt a special statement on climate change at the East Asian Summit in Singapore on November 21, the Japanese news agency said.
A draft of the statement urges the development of sustainable planning and management of the region's forests, improving forest law enforcement, and fighting illegal logging and other harmful practices.
It also stipulates that the 16 countries will set voluntary energy-saving targets and compile action plans by 2009, and help develop an international climate change accord after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012, Kyodo reported.
The statement will be the first of its kind to be adopted at the East Asian Summit involving the 16 countries.
The draft also says the countries should aim for a regional goal to reduce energy intensity at least 25 percent by 2030.
But India, which is lagging behind others in energy saving efforts, is strongly opposing such a target, Kyodo said, quoting a Japanese official.
The East Asia Summit members are the 10 countries belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.
