Climate change experts call on G20 members to commit to action—Last-ditch effort…

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/31/g20-summit-climate-change

Climate change experts call on G20 members to commit to action

• Last-ditch effort to gain specific promises at G20
• Leaked communique all but ignores green issues

Patrick Wintour, David Adam and Damian Carrington
The Guardian, Tuesday 31 March 2009

A last-ditch effort is being made to insert clearer green commitments into the global economic recovery package. The move comes amid fears amongst some British government officials that the G20 summit is in danger of missing a unique opportunity to prevent the world from being locked into irreversible and catastrophic climate change.

Gordon Brown yesterday promised that a commitment to tackle the environment will be one of the five tests of the communique due to be released following the summit on Thursday, adding "there were long hours of hard negotiations ahead".

Number 10 counselled caution insisting that the main climate change event of the year will be at Copenhagen in December, when the UN hopes to reach a global deal to replace the Kyoto agreement.

The draft G20 communique leaked at the weekend makes only the smallest reference to climate change, and appears to be vague on the subject of how green the $2tn (£1.4tn) stimulus package agreed by world leaders should be.

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