U.N. talks under pressure to drop 2020 targets
(Recasts with pressure, targets not dropped)
NUSA DUA, Indonesia, Dec 10 (Reuters) - A draft text on how to fight climate change still contains a tough 2020 target for rich nations to cut greenhouse gas emissions though delegations are coming under pressure to take it out, delegates said.
"The numbers are still in the text. There has been a lot of pressure to take them out," one delegate with intimate knowledge of the draft negotiations said, correcting his own earlier statement that the numbers had been removed.
Other delegates confirmed the draft text still included the numbers despite pressure to take them out.
The Dec. 3-14 meeting is seeking to launch two years of negotiations on a new pact to slow global warming, with a draft text that includes a goal of cuts in emissions by rich nations of 25-40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.
The United States said it was opposed to any mention of the numbers along with countries including Japan and Canada.
U.S. chief climate negotiator Harlan Watson said that eliminating the numbers would help the negotiations on a new climate pact to be decided by 2009.
"It's prejudging what the outcome should be," he said of the goals.
-- For Reuters latest environment blogs click on:
blogs.reuters.com/environment/
(Editing by David Fogarty)
