US sets 17pc carbon emissions reduction target

AFP January 29, 2010 8:34AM

THE United States today officially stated a goal to cut carbon emissions by 17 per cent by 2020 off 2005 levels, in a submission to the United Nations as part of last month's Copenhagen meeting.The United States said it expected to cut emissions blamed for global warming "in the range of 17 per cent" and "anticipated" that Congress would approve legislation to meet the target.

On Wednesday, Climate Change Minister Penny Wong revealed that Australia's target for greenhouse gas emissions cuts by 2020 under the Copenhagen Accord would be an unconditional, minimum of 5 per cent and a possible maximum of 25 per cent.

Senator Wong said Australia would not raise its target above 5 per cent until "global ambitions" became clear, including verifiable reductions from China and India.

In a letter to UN climate chief Yvo de Boer, US climate envoy Todd Stern said: "The US submission reflects President Obama's continued commitment to meeting the climate change and clean energy challenge.

"We expect that all major economies will honour their agreement in Copenhagen to submit their mitigation targets or actions." he said.

The summit asked nations to report by January 31 whether they would associate themselves with the accord and join efforts to draft a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, whose legal obligations run out at the end of 2012.