KOBE — Environment ministers from the Group of Eight countries meeting Sunday in Kobe apparently sidestepped the major issue of setting midterm greenhouse-gas reduction targets for 2020 due to a divide between developing and industrialized countries over specific targets.
Scientists believe 2020 is a key deadline in avoiding a potentially disastrous rise in world temperatures.
"On a midterm target (for emissions), this is the most difficult issue. We can't say we went much further than restating the positions of many countries so far," said Jos Delbeke, deputy director general for environment of the European Commission.