A small mention in a large UN report about the need for deeper cuts in greenhouse gases by rich nations has become a major obstacle in reaching a new climate treaty. Developing nations at a UN conference in Bonn are pushing for emissions cuts of 25 to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, which they see as crucial for a deal to be reached in Copenhagen in December. However, many developed nations argue that such reductions would harm their economies. Yvo de Boer, head of the UN Climate Change Secretariat, described the 25 to 40 percent range as a benchmark for measuring the success of the Copenhagen agreement. The 25-40 range was derived from a few studies and was not included in the "summary for policymakers" of the three-part report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which involved 2,500 experts. Shyam Saran, the special climate envoy to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, stated that little progress has been made in setting targets during the Bonn talks. Developing countries like China and India believe that wealthy nations should reduce emissions by at least 40 percent, primarily from burning fossil fuels, due to worsening evidence of global warming since 2007. Additionally, small island nations, concerned about rising sea levels, are calling for a 45 percent reduction in emissions below 1990 levels from wealthy nations. Saran stated that a target of forty percent by 2020 is reasonable if the problem is as serious as believed. De Boer clarified that this level is not a confirmed target, but rather a goal to help mitigate the effects of global warming. Many developed countries, including the United States and Japan, have set their own emissions reduction targets for 2020 and beyond. Bill Hare from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research believes that a reduction of 25 percent is still possible, but will be challenging to achieve. He mentioned that recent scientific discoveries supported the range of 25-40 percent. The omission of this information from the summary was more due to technical issues rather than doubts about its accuracy. The 25-40 percent figure gained significant attention in political circles after being referenced on page 776 and other findings were included as a footnote in a document presented at a meeting in Bali in 2007 with over 190 nations. Currently, wealthy nations have proposed cuts ranging from 8 to 14 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. The European Union has offered cuts of 20 percent, or 30 percent if other developed nations also participate. The text on page 776 also states that developing countries must make a significant change by 2020 to reduce the increase in their emissions compared to normal business practices. This decision divides wealthy and impoverished nations into two distinct groups, rather than implementing a graduated system of reductions where the wealthiest nations would have to make the largest cuts. Alden Meyer from the Union of Concerned Scientists mentioned that both sides believe they are being asked to do too much. It is uncertain how this impasse will be resolved. The wealthy nations may propose more substantial reductions, or the developing nations may compromise in exchange for clean technologies and increased aid. Hare stated that Russia, a significant country that has not yet established a greenhouse gas target and has emissions that are already around 30 percent lower than 1990 levels since the collapse of the Soviet Union, could have a significant impact. Setting a 2020 goal for Russia to maintain current emission levels would increase overall promised reductions to between 12 and 18 percent. However, some countries argue that reductions do not necessarily have to fall within this range, especially if deeper cuts are made later on. Jonathan Pershing, leader of the US delegation in Bonn and an author of the IPCC chapter that included the 25-40 percent range, mentioned in a briefing last month that there are other possible trends to consider.