Europe News
G8 leaders agree 'breakthrough' climate change deal
By Shada Islam Jun 7, 2007, 18:31 GMT
(L-R) President Putin (Russia), Chancellor Merkel (Germany), George W. Bush (USA) and Prime Minister Tony Blair (UK) have a chat in a large beach chair in Heiligendamm, Germany, 07 June 2007. Until 08 June 2007 a G8 summit takes place under enormous security measures in Heiligendamm. EPA/DB GUIDO BERGMANN
Heiligendamm, Germany - Leaders of the world's key industrialized nations agreed a breakthrough deal on combating climate change, including a pledge to slash global greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2050.
'We have a great success ... a major step forward,' German Chancellor Angela Merkel said after leaders at a Group of Eight (G8) summit in the Baltic resort of Heiligendamm gave their go-ahead to the climate change deal.
'I can very well live with this compromise,' said Merkel. But she added that 'none of these documents are binding.'
The German leader, who is hosting the G8 meeting, said negotiations among G8 participants had been especially difficult on setting a precise 50-per-cent target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
She said it was significant that future climate change discussions would continue within the United Nations.
The G8 statement on climate change referred to the need for a UN 'agreement' on climate change - rather than a 'framework' - following the 2012 expiry of the current Kyoto Protocol on global warming, said Merkel.
The German leader said there was agreement that temperature rise this century would be limited to between 1.5-2 degrees Celsius.
The climate change pact is a major victory for Merkel who identified the fight against global warming as a major issue for the G8 talks.
The German leader obtained what she set out to achieve: that G8 members commit to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2050 compared to 1990 levels.
She also wanted them to increase fuel efficiency by 20 per cent and limit the world's temperature rise this century to 2 degrees Celsius.
However, US President George W Bush came to the G8 summit refusing to agree to specific targets for slashing greenhouse gas emissions.
But he made a surprise proposal last week for a meeting of the world's 15 top emitters for discussions on ways of combating global warming.
The US is not a member of the Kyoto Protocol.
G8 members include Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Japan, the United States, Canada and Russia. The European Commission is also a participant.
A summit statement said all G8 leaders were committed to taking 'strong and early action' to tackle climate change.
'We will seriously consider the decisions made by the European Union, Canada and Japan which include at least a halving of global emissions by 2050,' the statement said, adding: 'We commit to achieving these goals.'
The summit said all major emerging economies must also join the endeavour. 'As climate change is a global problem, the response to it needs to be international,' it underlined.
The statement pointed out that the 'UN climate process is the appropriate forum for negotiating future global action on climate change.'
As such, all nations must participate 'actively and constructively' in the UN climate change conference to be held in Bali, Indonesia in December 'with a view to achieving a comprehensive post-2012 agreement that should include all major emitters.'
The framework for a new global climate change pact should be agreed by the end of 2008 and an agreement should be concluded by 2009, G8 leaders said.
Leaders also vowed to develop, deploy and foster the use of sustainable, less carbon intensive technologies in all areas of energy production.
'Private sector investment is and will remain the primary means of technology deployment and diffusion,' they said.
The statement called on developing countries to curb deforestation and insisted that industrialized nations would work on improving energy efficiency.
Discussions on climate change will also top the agenda on Friday when G8 leaders meet their counterparts from China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
Hogswaller. All of it. Don't believe me? Have a look at this:
//www.climatetechnology.gov/stratplan/final/index.htm
This is a great solution to a non-problem, so I'll applaud this outcome along with the Greenies.
The problem is that we are not addressing our real problems in a timely fashion.
That was very helpful, Alvin. F you too.
Leaders, who will be out of office way, way before 2050 agreed to carbon cuts...and Al Gore invented the internet, right?
What a set of jokers these politicians are- we might not have any oil left by 2050
Bush: try them yams there Harry. I have that ol colored fella in th kitchen pick em out fer me special. Y nnoow, Harry, I won't eat a yam unless it's dug special fer me...
Reid: uh...yes sir, they're delicous...I think this one has dirt on it...
Bush:Yi knoow Harry, this ol gloobal wahrmin thing is like a damn tic in my ass. These egghaed fellas at NSF, NASA an all thim colleges think th whol earth is burnin up Harry. Jesus, boy! It's like it started last year or sumpin. Whatya think there boy?
Reid: Well sir, they have large numbers of scientists agreeing with them...
Bush: ...an that Al Gore has completely rebuilt his career on this ol hogwahsh Harry! Jeeesus charahst boy, who knew he could sell snake oil betr an ol Tip O'
Neill? He's got them pretty hollywierdos suckin up an everythin. Y knoow Harry, these pretty girls in the dem party just make me like a ruttin buck. I'd switch over except fer Rosie or that fat ol film maker thaht don't cottin t me... Barb Streisand too. She's just a nasty ol diamondback boy!
Reid: sir...I wouldn't characterize him as...
Bush: aw shucks boy, its ok! a mans gotta live Harry. Ol Al dropped about 30 pounds, quit drinkin, gussied up his show, gagged his ol wihfe fer a change, an went on th road boy! No one can say he's lazy. Slow an screwy, maybe, but not lazy, eh boy? If he runs, giv him sum advice fer me boy: never pull a leettle cheeecano outa bed at gunpoint in a swing state, jus before th polls open!
Reid: ...uh, yes sir I'll pass it on.
Bush: Harry, we need sum legislation here, boy! Ya git out ther an write sumpin gooood. It needs t hav sumthin aboout this ol carbon thing, an then...Herry..we tell em: Nukes Harry! Thahts eet boy! We build em like outhouses at a corn feed boy! Them ol carbon eeemissions will jus fade away boy!
Reid: I think, sir, ths is going to be...
Bush:: Hard? HELLL yes! Why d ya think I need ya fer boy? Ya think the tree huggers, an birkenstockers are gonna greenlight this turd? Heeelll no! Jeeesus chrahst boy, they're thinkin about candles an blankets! We got toasters an air conditioning now Harry! Who's goona power them up? It's time t wake up Harry. Ya gotta job t do, jus like me!
Reid: Yes sir.
Bush: now get out there Harry an git me sum. You git them goofs t buy off an I'l hep ya too boy! Y can have sum o them new highways y like s much an I'll name an aircraft carrier after you! Won't that be nihce? laura will invite yer wahfe t lunch in th rose gardin. We'll git pitures an everythin boy.
Reid: uh...Yes sir.
No I don't see one real leader in the bunch, Maybe at the Haig, tride for crimes aganst humanity.
It appears that the Bush administration is producing papers to fight global warming .This is deeply tragic as an imminent reduction of carbon emission is despertaely needed.Untill now we only have empty promises .THe USA flatly refuses to agree to any concrete scenario.InThe only measures taken by Bush so far was the breaking of the KYoto protocol which was a duelly signed contract between states ,rendering it inoperative .We will soon pay a hefty price for this ,all of us .We have ten years left before climate spirals out of control and global warming becomes a self fueling catastroph.And all you neocons can do is blame Al Gore for bringing it to the world attention ?Oh of course you then add the world is opposed to the Bush administration for personal aversion of your president.Go figure the logic in that .
Unfortunately the global warming deniers are still at large. One of the predictions for global warming is extensive drought in the US - have any of the deniers looked around them recently ? Huge areas of the US (about one third) is suffering drought conditions already.
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G8Jun 7th, 2007 - 18:41:12
So called 'Civlized' crooks meet up again to keep control of the world!!!
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