G8 leaders agree long-term emission target

2580, 08/07/08

Leaders of the world's eight leading industrialised nations have agreed a long-term greenhouse gas emission reduction target of at least 50 per cent by 2050.  But the leaders did not agree mid-term targets. 

The agreement was reached on Tuesday at this year's G8 summit hosted by Japan.  On Wednesday, industrialised nations will meet eight other countries, including China, India and Brazil, to discuss climate change.

The meeting's outcome confirms predictions made earlier (EED 07/07/08 http://www.endseuropedaily.com/articles/index.cfm?action=article&ref=25791).  G8 leaders agreed the need to adopt mid-term emission reduction targets and national plans to achieve them. 

"We acknowledge our leadership role and each of us will implement ambitious economy-wide mid-term goals in order to achieve absolute emissions reductions", the leaders said in a joint statement issued on Tuesday.

European commission president Jose Manuel Barroso welcomed the outcome.  "The EU's benchmark for success at this summit has been achieved", he said.  "We remain on track to reach a global climate deal in Copenhagen in 2009".

"It's been a long road getting here", Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda told journalists.  "We had some very tough negotiations".  But green group WWF called the statement "pathetic".

The leaders agreed to set targets "taking into account resource productivity" to improve resource use, and showed support for a proposal to liberalise trade in remanufactured goods as part of the Doha round of trade talks.

G8 leaders also stressed the need to set "mid-term, aspirational goals" for energy efficiency, and emphasised the role sectoral approaches can play in improving efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

They called for "expeditious discussions" on curbing greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation and shipping sectors (EED 01/07/08 http://www.endseuropedaily.com/articles/index.cfm?action=article&ref=25751).  The leaders also reiterated their commitment to significantly reduce biodiversity loss by 2010.

Follow-up: G8 summit webpage http://www.g8summit.go.jp/eng/,

plus joint statement http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/kinkyu/2/20080708_142934.html. 

See also reactions from European commission http://www.endseuropedaily.com/docs/80708a.doc and WWF

http://www.endseuropedaily.com/docs/80708b.doc.

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