OSLO, (Reuters) – The European Union and the United States opposed yesterday a call by developing countries to measure each nation’s historical responsibility for global warming to guide a U.N. deal in 2015 to cut future greenhouse gases.
Rich nations fear that any scientific study that might blame rich nations most since they have burnt fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution could further delay sluggish U.N. talks.
Brazil won backing from more than 100 developing nations at the Nov. 11-22 meeting in Warsaw to ask the U.N.’s scientific panel of climate experts to look into each nation’s share of past responsibility for spewing out greenhouse gases.
Such a study could then guide the new deal, due to be agreed in 2015 and to enter into force from 2020.
But it also risks opening a political and legal can of worms. Assigning “responsibility” could be taken as an admission of liability for causing more droughts, heatwaves, floods and rising sea levels.