Aug. 29 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S., China and wealthy nations should bear the costs for curbing carbon-dioxide emissions worldwide in proportion to the income and air pollution they generate, the Stockholm Environment Institute proposed.

The environmental advocate, with centers in Sweden, Britain and the U.S., is attempting to break a deadlock in international talks for a new global treaty to reduce greenhouse-gas output, said Sivan Kartha, the institute's energy director. Kartha, co- author of a study on the issue, presented the proposal with partner group EcoEquity in Berlin today.

The growth of climate-warming gases in coming decades will mostly originate in developing countries trying to spur economic growth and reduce poverty by boosting energy use, Kartha said. Any agreement that doesn't address that reality is destined to fail, he added. Power plants, refineries and vehicles together are the main source of manmade CO2.

``Developing countries' emissions are the real challenge to climate change,'' said Kartha. ``And most poverty results from a lack of access to energy services. Traditionally, that has been addressed by fossil fuels,'' which add CO2 to the atmosphere.

The proposal, which has not been adopted by any country negotiating in the current United Nations-sponsored talks, considers both national income and overall emissions to quantify a nation's contribution to overall CO2 cuts. Rich countries wouldn't be able to meet their targeted levels by simply reducing output domestically and would be obliged to pay for clean-energy development in poorer nations, under the plan.

Progress in Accra

Nations moved closer to an agreement during this month's round of talks in Accra, Ghana, Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, said two days ago. Developing countries were less concerned that wealthy nations would impose greenhouse-gas targets on them, de Boer said. The convention, a U.N. agency, supervises the Kyoto climate-change treaty.

Under the Stockholm Institute's proposal, the U.S. would be responsible for carrying out 26.7 percent of the world's greenhouse-gas reductions by 2020, while China would have to eliminate almost 14 percent. The two release more CO2 exhaust than any other country. India would have to deliver 2 percent of the cuts. In total, high-income nations would have to contribute almost two-thirds of the global CO2 cuts, with about half coming by supporting poor country projects, the study said.

The plan would alleviate a large source of future emissions by providing developing countries, or those with a per capita annual income of $7,500 or less, with the funds to pay for clean energy, said Kartha. It's ``absolutely necessary'' that the issues of poverty elimination and climate change be dealt with together if any progress is to be made on greenhouse gas reductions, he added.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jeremy van Loon in Berlin at jvanloon@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: August 29, 2008 09:45 EDT