India, Brazil resist bid for long-term carbon goals

LE BOURGET, France (AP) — Attempts to inscribe a long-term goal to phase out carbon emissions in an envisioned global climate pact are facing pushback at U.N. talks from big developing countries including India and Brazil.

Negotiators from both countries said Wednesday they favor sticking to the already established goal of limiting global warming to 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F) above pre-industrial times — a level that scientists say could avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

[...] many countries are calling for the Paris deal to include a road map on how to achieve it, such as a joint target for phasing out the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.

Oil-rich Saudi Arabia opposes wording calling for a phase-out of carbon emissions, while small island nations that face an existential risk from rising seas are among the strongest advocates.

Speaking at a NATO conference in Brussels, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he thought the climate talks "got off to an encouraging start" with 150 world leaders — the biggest ever gathering of heads of state and government — attending the opening day.