Major economies must take lead in climate battle: U.S.

By Jeremy Lovell

LONDON (Reuters) - The world's major economies emit most of the world's climate-warming greenhouse gases and must take the lead in reducing them, a senior American climate negotiator said on Tuesday.

Paula Dobriansky, U.S. under secretary of state for global affairs, said the 16 countries and the European Union in the Major Economies Meeting (MEM) forum were responsible for 80 percent of the world's greenhouse gases and consumed 80 percent of the world's energy.

And, since MEM nations also accounted for 80 percent of the world's economy, they could well afford to act, she said.

"We are looking forward to a strong statement from the Major Economies leaders in July," she told London's Chatham House think-tank, referring to a meeting due to take place on the margins of the July 7-9 G8 summit in Hokkaido, Japan.

"What we hope in particular is that the leaders can reach agreement on a shared long-term greenhouse gas reduction goal and on a stated willingness to have mid-term national goals and plans reflected in binding international commitments."

But she stressed major emerging economies would not be required to act as swiftly or dramatically as major developed economies.

The MEM groups the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, South Africa and Britain, as well as the European Union, and involves the United Nations as an observer.

Dobriansky, speaking at a two-day Chatham House climate change meeting, said Washington would sign up to binding emission cuts but only if there was action commensurate with the size of their economies from countries like China and India, whose economies are growing at around 10 percent a year.