Russia skeptical of G8 environmental aspirations

A target set by the G8 for developed countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 is unacceptable for Russia, President Dmitry Medvedev's top economic aide was quoted by Reuters as saying on Wednesday.

"For us the 80% figure is unacceptable and likely unattainable," Arkady Dvorkovich told reporters.

"We won't sacrifice economic growth for the sake of emission reduction," he added.

Dvorkovich declined however to unveil Russia's precise targets, saying that releasing them would be premature.

"The calculations are being done. There are different scenarios," he said, adding they ranged from 20% to 60% by 2050.

"We still have the time to agree our positions before Copenhagen," Dvorkovich said, referring to December's climate conference in the Danish capital.

G8 leaders agreed on Wednesday to bear the brunt of steep global cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, agreeing to cut overall world emissions by 50% by the year 2050.

At the same time they called on a broader bloc of developed countries to reduce pollution by 80% by the same year.

Major developed and developing economies face mounting pressure to make ambitious commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions with the clock ticking ahead of the key Copenhagen meeting to set international targets.

Energy efficiency was a "complicated task" for his country, Dvorkovich said.

However, he said Moscow's post-Soviet economy could afford to set less ambitious targets because few developed countries could compare with Russia's low emissions.