U.S., Canada must do more in climate fight - France

By Pete Harrison and Julien Toyer

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The United States and Canada must do more than currently proposed to tackle greenhouse gases, France says in a position paper ahead of global climate talks in Copenhagen this December.

The government document seen by Reuters, titled: "Possible outline of a fair and ambitious agreement in Copenhagen," is the strongest message yet to the United States and Canada from within the European Union.

Paris also made the first concrete suggestions on how ministers in Copenhagen might tackle soaring emissions from aviation, but stopped short of suggesting emission curbs for shipping.

Airlines should cut emissions to 5 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, said the document, seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

It warned that Canada and the United States were not on course to cut emissions by the level needed, making it difficult for rich nations to meet the 25-40 percent collective reduction in greenhouse gases recommended by a U.N. climate panel.

The panel says such cuts are needed to avoid the most dangerous effects of climate change, such as melting ice sheets, thawing permafrost and rising sea levels.

"It is therefore necessary for Canada and the U.S. to take on commitments which are at least on a par with the EU's, compared with 1990 levels," it added.

The EU has already committed to cut its own emissions to 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, and will increase those cuts to 30 percent if other nations take similar action.