V4 countries: Lowering CO2 emissions must not harm economy

Environment ministers from the Visegrad Group countries, Bulgaria and Romania have agreed that cutting down on carbon dioxide emissions should not harm local economies and that the United States, China and other states must also take part in the reductions. The EU produces 12 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions but according to Czech Environment Minister Tomáš Chalupa it keeps cutting emissions despite having one of the lowest economic growths. Speaking at meeting outside Prague on Tuesday, Minister Chalupa said that if the largest polluters do not participate in reducing CO2 emissions, further cuts in Europe would harm its competitiveness. The six central and east European countries – about one-fifth of the EU in terms of both population and territory – coordinated their stances ahead of an U.N. international conference on climate change opening in Durban, South Africa, in late November.