The European Union is in danger of missing its target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the European Commission announced yesterday, urging European nations to quickly agree on proposals to cut emissions. The EU pledged at the 1997 Kyoto climate change talks to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 8 percent from 1990 levels by 2012. Acting EU Environment Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard called for concerted action to push through an EU-wide energy tax, as well as other measures. Meanwhile, the U.S. and Australia are complaining that the EU wants to limit carbon emissions trading under the Kyoto agreement. The next round of international climate change talks will get underway later this month in Bonn, Germany.
