Carbon emitters meeting sets no target

SEOUL, June 23 (UPI) -- The weekend meeting of the world's major carbon polluters in South Korea apparently didn't commit to halving greenhouse emissions by 2050.

Delegates from 16 countries attending the U.S.-led Major Economies Meeting on Energy Security and Climate Change in Seoul agreed that major emission cuts are necessary but sources told Kyodo news service Monday they couldn't agree on the 50 percent targeted cut by 2050.

A final declaration by the MEM leaders is to be issued on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit next month in Hokkaido, Japan, Kyodo said.

The U.S. role is to use the MEM framework for setting targets on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

However, the report said, the failure to commit to the 50 percent cut may make it difficult to reach any such agreement in the final MEM declaration.

In addition to the G8 countries of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, Britain and the United States, other countries at the Seoul meeting were Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Korea and South Africa. Together, they account for about 80 percent of the world's emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.