14 DAY TRIAL // European officials recently emphasized again the importance of emerging economies, such as China and India, limiting, or even reducing, their carbon emissions. The target the E.U. envisions is at 15 to 30 percent below the currently-emitted levels. This could prove to be very difficult for developing economies, which are just beginning to move on "fast forward" towards development.
China already said that its industrial achievements would not be undermined by carbon caps or emission reducing plans. However, the nation showed signs that it was willing to accept renewable energies if the opportunity presented itself. The Beijing government added that the currently-developed countries were mainly responsible for the current state of the environment.
Indeed, statistics show that the first-world nations have emitted the highest amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, since more than 150 years ago. Though China, India and, soon, Brazil put out impressive CO2 quantities, they are still far from influencing the climate in the way that countries like the United Kingdom, Germany and the Untied States did for such a long time.
Brussels diplomats said that the 1990 carbon levels are the reference point to be reached by 2050. They say that, in order for this to happen, all countries have to gradually reduce and eventually diminish their emissions, so that the 50 percent drop in CO2 levels can be reached in four decades.
The European Union itself has an ambitious, environment-friendly plan that states the decrease of carbon emissions by 20 percent until 2020. This basically gives the Union about 10 to 11 years to reduce its carbon emissions by one fifth. The only way this can be achieved is through efficient power management and the development of alternative energy sources.
Reducing the amounts of carbon in the atmosphere is crucial for averting the effects of global warming and climate change that influence large portions of our environment, ranging from animal species to birds, fish and even coral reefs.