Reuters 31 Jan 10;
(Reuters) - Big greenhouse gas emitters have restated their promises to fight climate change, meeting a Sunday deadline in a low-key endorsement of December's "Copenhagen Accord.
Following are plans announced since the Copenhagen summit. Each country's percentage of world emissions is given in brackets, based on U.S. Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center data of emissions from fossil fuels and cement production:
CHINA (22 percent), INDIA (6), SOUTH AFRICA (1), BRAZIL (1) -- Known as the BASIC group. India's Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said in a January 28 letter to Denmark's government that BASIC ministers "underscored their support to the Copenhagen Accord" at a January 24 meeting. The five also challenged donors to deliver on promises of aid.
-- China reiterated in a January 28 letter that it would endeavor to cut the amount of carbon produced per unit of economic output by 40 to 45 percent below projected growth levels by 2020 from 2005. This "carbon intensity" goal would let emissions keep rising, but more slowly than economic growth.
-- India said on January 31 it would endeavor to reduce its carbon emission intensity by 20 to 25 percent by 2020 in comparison to the 2005 level.
-- South Africa offered on December 6 to slow the growth of its emissions by 34 percent below projected levels by 2020, conditional on a broad international deal and aid.
-- Brazil reaffirmed on December 28 a goal announced before Copenhagen of reducing emissions by between 36 and 39 percent below projected levels by 2020. At the most ambitious end of the range, it said emissions would fall by 20 percent from 2005 levels, back to 1994 levels.
UNITED STATES (18) - U.S. climate envoy Todd Stern said on January 28 the country would aim to cut emissions by about 17 percent by 2020, from 2005 levels, confirming a goal set by the White House late last year. The target -- 4 percent below 1990 levels -- may be harder to achieve after the Democrats lost a key Senate seat.
EUROPEAN UNION (15) - Reiterated on January 27 an offer of a unilateral goal of a 20 percent emissions cut by 2020, from 1990 levels, and 30 percent if other nations deepened their reductions.
JAPAN (4) - Japan's foreign ministry said on January 26 it was reiterating an offer to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 -- on condition other emitters led by China and the United States agreed an ambitious deal.
AUSTRALIA (1) - Australia reaffirmed its goal of a 5 to 25 percent emissions cut below 2000 levels, corresponding to 3-23 percent under 1990, the government said on January 27 [ID:nSGE60Q08A]. A decision to move beyond a unilateral 5 percent would not happen until the "level of global ambition becomes sufficiently clear."
Other emitters:
SOUTH KOREA - Reiterated a plan to slow greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below business-as-usual levels by 2020.
NORWAY - Reiterated on January 28 a unilateral promise to cut emissions by 30 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, and by 40 percent if other nations set tougher goals.
SINGAPORE - Restated plans to cut emissions by 7-11 percent below business-as-usual levels by 2020 on January 11. It would expand the offer to a 16 percent cut "when a global agreement on climate change is reached.
MALI - Said on January 22 it wanted to be associated with the deal.
CUBA - Wrote to U.N. Secretariat expressing opposition to the accord.
The U.S. Climate Action Network also published letters from BANGLADESH, THE PHILIPPINES, SAMOA, THE MARSHALL ISLANDS and MACEDONIA expressing support for the accord.
(Compiled by Alister Doyle in Oslo. Additional reporting by Timothy Gardner in Washington and Krittivas Mukherjee in New Delhi)
