Umbrella Group countries pledge to act on climate change

COPENHAGEN, Dec 16 (Xinhua) -- The ten-nation Umbrella Group countries pledged here on Wednesday to act on climate change.

Australian Minister for Climate Change Penny Wong delivered the statement in the high-level segment of the U.N. climate conference on behalf of the Umbrella Group, which consists of Canada, Iceland, Japan, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Ukraine, the United States and Australia.

She said the increase in global average temperature above pre-industrialized levels ought not exceed two degrees Celsius and the group sought a global outcome that put the world on a path to a 50 percent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050.

"The Umbrella Group countries are ready to make this vision a reality. We accept our responsibility to act," she said.

But she did not detail the reduction targets for Umbrella Group countries, saying only that "every Umbrella Group member is prepared to put on the table economy-wide emissions targets that will substantially reduce their emissions."

The Umbrella Group has long been criticized for its reluctance to reduce carbon emissions, though they have much higher capabilities compared with many other countries.