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Secretary-General urges G-8 leaders to address climate change
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed an agreement by the leaders of industrialized countries, gathered at the G-8 summit in Italy, to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050.
G8 summit logo
The Secretary-General, however, urged them in addition to this long-term target, to establish a strong and ambitious mid-term target for emissions cuts by 2020.
Mr. Ban says the industrialized countries should also provide financial aid for poorer countries to reduce pollution and adapt to climate change.
"They should be able to provide sufficient financial support, technological support, so that developing countries can adapt themselves, can mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions - they do not have the capacity, they do not have any resources available. This is what they are expecting."
The Secretary-General is convening a summit on climate change in New York in September. This summit is meant to help leaders work out the key, challenging issues of a post-Kyoto climate change treaty that they are expected to sign in Copenhagen in December.
For UN Radio, I'm Bissera Kostova.
(duration: 1'09")
