The European Union has made a veiled criticism of the United States at climate talks in Bali today over Washington's efforts to remove tough 2020 emissions guidelines from draft text.
UN climate talks in Bali have become dominated by disputes about whether a final text should omit reference to scientific evidence that rich nations should cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 to 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020.
Any watering down or outright removal of this non-binding range would anger developing nations, who are demanding rich nations do more to cut their own greenhouse gas emissions.
"I understand that it is still in the text," EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said in Bali.
"Of course it is crucial for the European Union, and not only for the European Union, in order to gather an effective fight against climate change we need this range of reductions for developed countries by 2020."
"The EU set a target of 30 per cent (by 2020) provided that other developed countries come along, or even more than 30 per cent if it is necessary," he said.
The United States called on the meeting on Monday to drop any reference to 2020 guidelines for rich nations, saying it would prejudge the outcome of negotiations
The Bali talks aim to bind all nations to greenhouse gas curbs from 2013. but poor nations want rich countries to do more before they agree. Negotiators are working hard on a formula to draw in the developing world, particularly India and China.
Australia, whose new government ratified the Kyoto Protocol last week, was vague on whether it supported a 25-40 per cent range as a starting point for discussions.
Australia's new Climate Change and Water Minister, Penny Wong, refused to confirm if Australia supported the inclusion of what she called an interim emissions reduction target of 25-40 per cent by 2020 in draft text.