EU should set its top emissions target

With the world making efforts to drum up a new decisive deal on curbing greenhouse gas emissions for the 2020 to 2030 period in Paris next year, it seems that Brussels and Washington have also started to jostle for global leadership in climate governance.

Shortly after Beijing and Washington agreed a climate deal on Wednesday during Obama's visit to China for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting, there was an official statement from Brussels saying it welcomed the deal, but nonetheless attributing it to being a response to the ambitious plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions unveiled by the European Union in late October.

In Beijing, the United States committed to emitting 26 to 28 percent less carbon in 2025 based on its emissions in 2005, while China promised its carbon emissions would peak around 2030 and it would accelerate making renewable energy sources account for 20 percent of its mix by 2030. The 28 member countries of the EU, however, have agreed to cut 40 percent of their carbon emissions by 2030 from the 1990 base.