European and Asian leaders have pledged to continue working to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, blamed by many scientists for global warming.
Top officials from 38 Asian and European nations concluded their Asia-Europe Meeting in Helsinki Monday. They released a final statement promising to continue working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions after the Kyoto Protocol on climate change expires in 2012.
But no firm targets were set. In their final statement, the 38 leaders agreed to share cleaner and climate-friendly technology with developing nations.
Enacted in 2005, the Kyoto Protocol establishes goals for 35 industrialized nations to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about five percent below 1990 levels by 2012.
The agreement does not require developing nations like India and China to restrict their emissions. Citing economic reasons, the United States has not signed the protocol.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP.