The next challenges: G8 and the International Climate Regime
G8 Must Lead the Fight Against Climate Change
Action on climate change - not hot air - is what's needed from the G8 nations.
G8 - Making Energy Efficiency Happen - WWF
Under Japanese Chairmanship, the G8 nations need to sketch out a number of key policies to slow down climate change, including absolute emission limits for industrialised countries, financing mechanisms for clean technologies and adaptation, and measures to boost energy efficiency.
G8 Summit in Heligendamm, Germany - 2007
The G8 Heads of State Summit in Heiligendamm, Germany, took some steps forward by agreeing to negotiate a UN deal to reduce emissions in the long term by 2009, says WWF. The G8 Heads of State, however, failed to give concrete targets, figures and timelines.
G8 in St.Petersburg, Russia – 2006
The Summit focused on energy security. WWF criticises a narrow view on security of supply of old-fashioned fosssil fuels only - the large sums on money planned for into building infrastructure for old-fashioned energy systems should rather be re-allocated in favour of energy efficiency and renewable energies.
G8 in Gleneagles, UK – 2005
The 2005 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland (UK) received special attention; UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, then the holder of the G8 Presidency, chose climate change and poverty relief as the central subjects.
The meeting was preceded by a large-scale scientific conference in the UK at the beginning of the year ‘Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change’, and a very strong statement of the Academies of Science from all G8 countries and several developing countries on the seriousness of climate change. The leaders of the 5 large developing economies attending the Summit, China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa, urged the G8 to provide financial and technical support for a low carbon development path.
Yet the G8 Summit, tragically overshadowed by the terrorist attacks in London, bowed to pressure from the Bush administration and failed to deliver a strong statement on the urgency of the problem of climate change and the immediate need to cut emissions.
What is the G8?
The Group of Eight – G8 - is a gathering of leaders from 8 of the most powerful countries in the world. In recent years the leaders of the 5 biggest developing economies have also been invited. It is a ‘club’ without legal basis and without its own administration. Apart from the annual Summit, G8 also hold regular meetings of relevant Ministers (finance, environment, etc). The Presidency switches to one of the member states every year – in 2006 it is Russia, in 2007 it will be Germany.
