UN chief rebukes G8 for ommiting near-term emissions targets, financing in climate discussions

L’AQUILA, Italy — The U.N. secretary general has rebuked the Group of Eight leaders for failing to make more committments to reducing climate change in the near future.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon also says the G-8 must come forward with financing for poorer nations to change their polluting growth pattern and adapt to the effects of global warming. He said Thursday the G-8 must do both if developing countries are to cut their own emissions.

The G-8 on Wednesday recognized for the first time that average global temperatures shouldn’t exceed 2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial times.

But the leaders made no commitments to do anything soon to reach that goal and made no firm financial commitments for poor countries.