Mexico pledges cuts in carbon output

MEXICO CITY, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Mexico has pledged to cut its carbon pollution in half by 2050, based on 2002 emissions.

Mexican Environment Minister Juan Rafael Elvira Quesada announced at U.N. climate talks in Poland that in an effort to address climate change his country is setting the lofty target.

Elvira Quesada said Mexican President Felipe Calderon in February will provide more details about how the goal will be reached.

The announcement comes on the heels of an unrelated report from the World Bank that calls on Latin America to increase its efforts to battle climate change despite the global economic crisis.

The report suggests that while Latin America is not a large polluter, its emissions are growing.