The AP reports, "The Group of Eight leading industrial nations on Tuesday endorsed halving world emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050, edging forward in the battle against global warming but stopping short of tough, nearer-term targets."  Leaders at the summit "also called on all major economies to join in the effort to stem the potentially dangerous rise in world temperatures."

Regulations on the automotive industry would play a critical role in any global emissions-cutting plan.  The automotive industry hasn't missed the significance of the meeting.  Reuters reports, "A fleet of electric plug-ins, hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell cars awaited those attending this week's summit for use or test drives, supplied by Japan's top seven carmakers." Cars the G8 leaders can drive for the week include a Toyota hybrid-hydrogen prototype "which uses a nickel-metal hydride battery and runs 830 km (516 miles) on a full hydrogen tank," and Mitsubishi's i-MiEV electric minicar.

Despite the industry's efforts to puts its greenest foot forward for world leaders at the summit, the automotive industry would likely be a major source of opposition to any new emissions rules.  The United States last year announced tougher targets for fuel economy, known as CAFÉ, or Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, aimed at reducing U.S. emissions by 2020.  The new rules quickly ran into industry opposition.

According to South Carolina's Greenville Press, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers claims "that the proposal could force the elimination of between 9,000 and 82,000 auto jobs and reduce new car sales by 98,000 to 865,000 vehicles by 2015."

One automaker has even submitted its own, alternative proposal for looser restrictions.  Motor Trend reports, "In efforts to modify the impending first round of CAFE standards set to go into effect during the 2011 to 2015 model years, BMW North America has proposed a restructured fuel economy plan to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that the German automaker claims is fairer to manufacturers affected most by the 2020 standards."  BMW's plan would ease requirements for performance cars.

And while industry pressures governments to loosen emissions and fuel economy restrictions, other forces will pressure them to do more.  CNN reports that the G8's plan to halve global emissions "was criticized by environmentalists Tuesday."  Critics say that a 50 percent reduction is "insufficient, and have called for ambitious midterm targets for countries to cut emissions by 2020." 

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