Confidential document reveals industrialized countries cheating the world on climate

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Confidential-document-reveals-industrialized-countries-cheating-the-world-on-climate/articleshow/5349838.cms

COPENHAGEN: The industrialized countries are cheating the world. A confidential document of the UN Frame Convention on Climate Change secretariat prepared on December 15 shows, contrary to what the rich nations might claim, even if they come true on their current pledges to reduce emissions the world is headed towards a 3 degree temperature rise by 2050, not two degree Celsius – the tipping point. ( Read confidential initial draft )

The document, an authoritative assessment by the UN itself, still kept a secret from the 192 country delegates presently at Copenhagen says, “Unless the remaining gap (of the emissions required to be reduced) is closed and parties (countries) commit themselves to strong action prior and after 2020, global emissions will remain on an unsustainable pathway that could lead to concentrations equal or above 550 ppm (parts per million of carbon dioxide in air) with the related temperature raise around 3 degree Celsius.

The UN global group of scientists – IPCC – has long ago warned that if the global temperatures go more than 2 degrees above pre-industrial era the world would tip over into irreversible natural calamities.

The 2 degree target is considered the beacon for how much emission cuts the industrialized countries and others should undertake. The industrialized countries, such as US and Europe have made some offers and claimed it is enough to prevent disaster. The UN secret document now shows that the targets the rich countries have unofficially claimed they could take are just not enough.

The rich countries have even 12 hours before the heads of the states meet at Copenhagen, refused to put even these numbers as part of their official positions.

The rich countries have taken commitments under the Kyoto Protocol to reduce their emissions to keep temperatures stable. While the rich countries are not on track to meet their targets even in the first phase that ends in 2012 they have so far refused to commit to deeper action as required by science in the next phase of the Kyoto Protocol starting 2013. They, instead, want the Kyoto Protocol to be killed completely.