tokyo & london

Two days of separate talks between environment ministers of developed and developing countries ended in Tokyo on Sunday (9 November) having achieved little tangible progress towards legally binding targets for greenhouse gas emissions.

Members of the European Union signalled that their proposal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15 per cent by the year 2010 would be negotiable at the climate convention's conference next month in Kyoto. But, despite repeated efforts, the US delegation refused to be drawn on whether its own proposal to stabilize emissions at 1990 levels was similarly ‘flexible’.

A parallel meeting of developing countries made virtually no headway. Only two ministers attended, and there were no delegations from China, India or Zimbabwe — some say because they were unhappy at being segregated from developed countries. “They would have preferred a meeting of all parties on the United Nations model,” said one participant.

John Prescott, Britain's deputy prime minister, who chaired the developed country discussion, says he was pleased that countries appear to be moving away from rhetoric. “Every nation and everyone expressed that view,” he says. “I think that is a single step forward, because up to now an awful lot of people have been predicting that, whatever the circumstances, they would not cooperate. When you have got a wide difference between zero and fifteen you have got to feel your way through to what is likely to be a realistic figure.”

Delegates spent much of the time exploring whether the United States would be prepared to sign up to a higher target — for example a 10 per cent reduction in emissions from 1990 levels — achieved rough ‘joint implementation’ and emissions trading.

Again, US delegates would not say whether this proposal was acceptable; according to one European Union participant, it was clear that the United States did not come to Tokyo prepared to talk in detailed terms.

Prescott is to hold separate bilateral meetings with India, Australia and New Zealand. The prime minister of Japan, which chaired the developing country meeting, held negotiations with King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah during a visit to Saudi Arabia.