55 nations set 2020 carbon goals since Copenhagen

Fifty-five nations accounting for almost 80 percent of world greenhouse gas emissions have set national goals for fighting climate change by a deadline in the “Copenhagen Accord,” the United Nations said on Monday.

“This represents an important invigoration of the U.N. climate change talks,” Yvo de Boer, head of the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat, said of the varying national promises for curbs on emissions until 2020 submitted by a January 31 deadline.

The countries, including top emitters led by China and the United States, mostly reiterated commitments unveiled before December’s U.N. summit in Denmark, which disappointed many countries by failing to agree a new binding U.N. treaty.

It said the pledges covered 55 nations and amounted to 78 percent of global emissions from energy use.

Reuters