Brazil and France call for climate concessions

By James Mackenzie

PARIS (Reuters) - France and Brazil joined forces on Saturday to press the United States and China to make significant concessions at next month's climate change summit in Copenhagen.

In a joint document, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil urged rich industrialized countries to cut emissions of greenhouse gases by at least 80 percent from their 1990 levels by 2050.

They called on emerging countries to seek low carbon growth and to take steps to slow the rate at which their greenhouse gas emissions rise by 2050, with "substantial" financial help from richer countries.

"We will not accept a situation where we agree these measures and other countries say: 'We'll see tomorrow'," Sarkozy told a joint news conference.

"This is a collective responsibility."

Just before the meeting in Paris, Brazil pledged to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by between 36.1 percent and 38.9 percent, largely by controlling deforestation in the Amazon region, a decision praised by Sarkozy.

Lula told reporters the document signed with Sarkozy was "more than a declaration of intent, it is a climate bible" and the two leaders said the United States and China had to show more boldness in accepting commitments at Copenhagen.

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