EU pushes for aviation and shipping to feature in post-Kyoto deal

Familiar tensions have again surfaced at the UN's latest climate change conference in Bangkok, as delegates today attempt to reach agreement on the schedule for future talks.

A draft text sets out plans for four meetings next year ahead of a final deal being reached in late 2009 at the Copenhagen conference.

However, delegates reportedly clashed over the nature of the meetings with Japan pushing for early talks on its proposed "sectoral approach" to reducing carbon emissions and Europe at loggerheads with several other countries over plans to include rules governing emissions from international aviation and shipping in any post-Kyoto agreement.

Japan is advocating that any post-Kyoto agreement include energy efficiency targets for certain industries, such as steel and cement making. Supporters of the proposals, including the US, argue that setting targets for industries as opposed to countries would ensure fair competition among companies across national boundaries.

However, developing nations are concerned the model could be used to impose more demanding emissions reductions targets on them and allow richer nations to do less to curb their own emissions.

Kyoji Komachi, Japan's top negotiator in Bangkok, told the Associated Press that the proposals were not intended to force developing countries into the same emissions targets as industrialised nations. "We want an in-depth discussion — that's all we're looking for," he said, adding that Japan was pushing for the topic to be debated "early on" in the negotiating process.

Meanwhile, Norway and the European Union faced opposition from a number of countries, including Thailand, Australia and China, over proposals that emissions from ships and aircraft should be regulated as part of a post-Kyoto settlement.

However, there were indications that the EU proposal has secured support and that emissions from aviation and shipping may be covered for the first time after reports emerged that last night delegates agreed to toughen language from earlier text suggesting that industry could regulate itself.

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