G8 pledges 'substantial' reductions in greenhouse gas emissions
Washington (Platts)--8Jul2005
The climate change communique released Friday at the Group of Eight summit conference in Gleneagles, Scotland, pledges that the industrial countries will work in partnership with major emerging economies, i.e., China and India, "to find ways to achieve substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions." It states that climate change is a "serious and long-term challenge that has the potential to affect every part of the world," although the phrase in an earlier draft that "our world is warming," was deleted at the insistence of the US. The communique cites the scientific uncertainties, but said, "We know enough to act now to put ourselves on a path to slow, and, as the science justifies, stop and reverse the growth of greenhouse gases." That phrase was lifted verbatim from the Bush Administration's "Global Climate Change Policy Book." The G8 countries agreed to "take forward a dialogue on climate change, clean energy and sustainable development, and invite other interested countries (such as China and India) to join in." The communique acknowledges that "the increased use of energy from fossil fuels and other human activities, contribute in large part to increases in greenhouse gases associated with the warming of our earth's surface." That is a milder statement than one in the draft, also opposed by the US, which said increases in global warming, due in large part to human activity "has already led to changes in the Earth's climate." The communique acknowledges that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change "is the appropriate forum" for negotiating future action on climate change. It also states that those countries which have ratified the Kyoto Protocol "welcome its entry into force and will work to make it a success." The US is the only G8 country not to have ratified Kyoto, and originally opposed the statement. The G8 climate plan of action calls for the development of cleaner, more efficient vehicles and programs to promote their deployment; research and development and deployment of cleaner gasoline and diesel technologies, biofuels, synthetic fuels, fuel cells and hybrid technologies; the development and commercialization of carbon capture and storage technologies; and the development and commercialization of renewable energy. The G8 countries also pledged to accelerate the employment of cleaner technologies. The document does not indicate how much will be invested in any of these initiatives nor a strategy for deployment to developing countries. The communique also includes actions to be undertaken by the nations who ratified the Kyoto protocol. But it is silent on whether the Kyoto Protocol could serve as a model for future efforts to combat global warming. For more information about global warming, take a trial to Platts Renewable Energy Report at http://renewableenergyreport.platts.com.
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