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THE COMMUNIQUE issued by leaders of the world's richest countries after their G8 summit in Japan represents a small step forward in confronting the multiple threats posed by climate change. They now "seek to share the goal of achieving at least a 50 per cent reduction by 2050" in human-induced greenhouse gas emissions culpable for causing global warming, rather than merely promising to "seriously consider" such a target.

But the latest form of words, clearly drafted to keep the United States on board, falls short of an actual commitment to achieve the required reduction - which itself is well below the 80 per cent cut that the scientific consensus says is really needed. What's more, there is no "road map" from the G8 in the form of medium-term targets for 2020 or 2030, as environmentalists have been vociferously demanding.