European environment ministers urged developing countries to cut their emissions by 15-30% below "business as usual" under any new global deal to take effect from 2013. While the proposed provisions would not mean absolute cuts, they would require emerging economies to slow the growth of their emissions and then gradually reduce them as their contribution to achieving a global 50% cut on 1990 levels by 2050.
Emerging economies are not bound by the current Kyoto protocol targets on the grounds that global warming is the result of emissions from rich nations and they should be allowed to enjoy catch-up growth.
The new EU policy has been adopted in the run-up to the United Nations conference on climate change that will take place in Poznan, Poland, in early December. This is due to prepare the way for the final UN conference in Copenhagen at the end of next year.
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