EU leaders welcome U.S.-China targets on greenhouse gas emissions

Xinhua Brussels, November 26, the EU's rotating presidency of Sweden's Prime Minister Reinfeldt and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso 26th issued a joint statement to China and the United States announced quantitative targets for greenhouse gas emissions, said the U.S.-China proposed emission reduction targets are positive. The joint statement said: "The United States and China have indicated that they will take concrete measures to mitigate climate change, the United States and China are the major participants in the climate change negotiations, and we will carefully analyse the emission reduction targets proposed by the United States and China and maintain close contact with the two delegations."　　"The joint statement expressed the hope that China and the United States could make further efforts to reach a new agreement on greenhouse gas abatement at the UN Climate Change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December." In the statement, Reinfeldt and Barroso affirmed China's measures to address climate change, saying that China's quantitative targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions are positive, but there are "disappointing places".　　They said they would discuss the issue with Wen Jiabao, the Chinese premier, at the 12th meeting of leaders of China and the EU, to be held in Nanjing, China, this month 30th. Reinfeldt and Barroso said: "There are a number of positive factors in the US emission reduction targets, and while the US's 2020 reduction targets have been somewhat disappointing, we have noted that their emissions were much larger in 2025 and 2030."　　"In addition, two EU leaders said they are prepared to continue discussions with the United States on financial assistance to developing countries in their efforts to combat climate change."　　China announced 26th its target of controlling greenhouse gas emissions, and decided to reduce emissions by 40% to 45% per cent of GDP by 2020 compared with 2005. The White House 25th also announced that the United States will be at the Copenhagen climate Change conference promised 2020 greenhouse gas emissions in 2005 to reduce the basis of 17%.　　But the goal, according to experts, is only a 4% reduction from 1990, far from the demands of developing countries for at least 40% per cent of the developed world's emissions. The Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, to be held from December 7 to 18th, aims to reach a new agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions after the expiration of the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period in 2012. Despite the imminent Copenhagen Conference, developed and developing countries remain deeply divided on key issues such as emission reduction targets, funding and technical support.