G8 'fails to dig deep' on emission cuts

Published Date: 09 July 2008 WORLD leaders at the G8 summit came under fierce attack from environmental campaigners last night despite committing themselves to cut global emissions in half by 2050. Green groups said the target – a slight toughening of last year's pledge – was now redundant and cuts of 80 to 95 per cent were needed to prevent global warming becoming life-threatening. Eilidh Whiteford, campaigns manager for Oxfam Scotland, said: "At this rate, by 2050 the world will be cooked and the G8 leaders will be long forgotten. The G8's endorsement of a tepid '50 by 50' climate goal leaves us with a 50/50 chance of a climate meltdown." G8 nations, meeting in Japan, yesterday vowed to "consider and adopt" the goal of reducing by 50 per cent emissions "from all major economies". Previously they had promised to... [read full story]