Group of largest greenhouse gas emitters discusses specific climate protection measures in Brussels
At today's climate forum in Brussels Federal Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen advocated increased climate protection commitment: "We have to breathe life into the Cancun climate summit agreements. So far the reduction measures agreed are not sufficient to keep global warming firmly below 2 degrees. An agreement which comprises binding targets and measures for all top emitters remains our goal. At the follow-up conference in Durban we must make progress towards this goal". Representatives of the 17 largest economies worldwide which are responsible for about 80 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, participate in the Major Economies Forum (MEF).
MEF is meeting in Brussels for the first time since the Cancun climate summit. The goal of the meeting is to fine-tune the Cancun agreements and to assess political framework conditions for success at the forthcoming climate conference in Durban (South Africa).
Background
The MEF process was initiated by the former US administration (at the time called Major Economies Meeting, MEM) in 2007 before the Bali climate conference. The US government invites the 16 largest greenhouse gas emitters to MEF meetings: (G8: Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Canada, Russia, the US; BASIC countries: Brazil, China, India, Mexico, South Africa; plus Australia, Indonesia, Korea). Together they emit 80 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Numerous meetings took place in the run-up to both the Copenhagen and the Cancun conference. The latest meeting was held in Arlington (US) in November 2010. The Brussels meeting is jointly chaired by the US and the EU Commission.