'US, China, India must do more to fight global warming'

The US, China and India must step up efforts to fight global warming because the European Union cannot do it alone, Sweden's premier says.

The US, China and India must step up efforts to fight global warming because the European Union cannot do it alone, Sweden's premier said on Monday.

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"The EU is not enough to make a change," Fredrik Reinfeldt said at the World Water Week conference in Stockholm, citing the new EU goals to cut greenhouse gases by 20 per cent by 2020.

"We need to make the US, China, India and other countries to commit themselves to actions," he said. If they do not, "we will not be able to find a common ground with the force to really make a difference."

As developing countries, China and India are not forced to make emissions cuts under the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, which expires in 2012. The US has not ratified the treaty.

Reinfeldt said negotiations on future emissions cuts will reach a "decisive stage" in 2009, and vowed to keep climate change high on the agenda when Sweden assumes the rotating EU presidency that year.

He warned that climate change could lead to water scarcity, drought, broadened deserts, storms and flooding.