Bush lauds summiteers for work on protecting environment, advancing trade, helping the poor

"G8 Nations"

07/09/2008

TOYAKO, Japan (AP) -- President Bush on Wednesday hailed the move by G-8 leaders to coalesce behind a broad climate-change strategy, saying in a valedictory to summitry that "significant progress" has been made on global warming.

"In order to address climate change, all major economies must be at the table, and that's what took place today," Bush said. Environmentalists said the summit's broad pledge to work toward slashing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2050 did not go far enough.

In fact, five of the developing nations at the expanded meeting — China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa — issued their own statement rejecting the notion that all share in the 50-percent reduction goal. "It is essential that developed countries take the lead in achieving ambitious and absolute greenhouse gas emissions reductions," said the statement.

"We're not in complete convergence yet," acknowledged Jim Connaughton, one of Bush's top environmental advisers.

It was, nevertheless, the first time that heads of state from the U.S. and the seven other major economic powerhouses sat down to talk about global warming at the same table with China, India and six other emerging economies. Altogether the 16 countries are responsible for spewing 80 percent of the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Bush's position represented quite a progression for a president who in his first term disputed scientists' assertions about global warming. This time, he heartily backed the broad goal stated by his summit partners.

"We made clear, and the other nations agreed, that they must also participate in an ambitious goal," Bush said, "with an interim goal, with interim plans to enable the world to successfully address climate change. And we made significant progress toward a comprehensive approach."

The leaders couldn't agree on additional specific numerical targets, though. And not everybody signed onto the 2050 goal.