US says nations must adhere to CO2 pact
By DEVON MAYLIE
The US said Monday that any future emission reduction accord must equally apply to industrialized countries and the major emerging economies such as China.
Speaking on the sidelines of the COP17 climate talks in Durban, South Africa, the US deputy envoy for climate change, Jonathan Pershing, said any future deal that the U.S. could consider joining must have legal parity with the emerging economies.
"Major emerging economies represent a much larger share of emissions than they did a decade ago," Pershing said. "A structure of a legal agreement where we are bound and major emerging economies are not is untenable."
Representatives from 192 countries plus the EU are starting negotiations Monday in Durban over what to do with the Kyoto Protocol and how to address emission targets from 2020.
The US, which isn't a member of the Kyoto Protocol, said it takes climate change seriously but any accord has to have equal application to the US and major emerging economies in order to be passed.
Already tensions are developing between emerging and industrialized countries. South Africa and other emerging economies such as China are calling for the US and Europe to pay for the climate costs they say come from carbon emissions.
Dow Jones Newswires
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