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VIRTUALISATION G-8 to cut emissions, environmentalists aren’t happy
VIRTUALISATION G-8 to cut emissions, environmentalists aren’t happy | G-8 to cut emissions, environmentalists aren’t happy |
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| by William Atkins | |
| Wednesday, 09 July 2008 | |
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The Group of Eight (G-8) developed countries consist of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The G-8 is an unofficial forum in which leaders of the leading industrialized democracies of the world come together in discussions. In a combined statement by the group, they announced on Tuesday, July 8, 2008, "This global challenge can only be met by a global response, in particular, by the contributions from all major economies.” Their “2008 G-8 Hokkado Japan Summit,” the thirty-fourth such summit to take place, is being called the “environmental summit” because the environment and climate change are its primary points of discussions. However, discussions involving international financial markets, rising oil and food prices and aid to African countries were also on the agenda during the summit, which was held from July 7 to 9, 2008. The G-8 five-page communiqué pointed out “all major economies” need to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. This statement was directed specifically at China and India. These two major but still industrializing economies are the two largest developing nations in the world and, as a result, are also producing large amounts of greenhouse gases in their atmospheres as they strive to become developed industrial nations. The agreement also contained statements by which participating countries would implement high goals for energy efficiency, promote clean energy sources and technologies, and provide financing for poor and developing countries so they, too, could reduce their greenhouse emissions.. However, the G-8 statement only mentioned that mid-term goals would be needed to achieve the halving of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. They did not specify any mid-term goals that, according to critics of the plan, are much more difficult to achieve than the long-term plan. This year’s meeting of the G-8 was held in Tovako, Japan, on Japan's northernmost island of Hokkado. The same agenda was before the group in its 2007 meeting in Germany. The endorsement of cutting world emissions of greenhouse gases by 50% by the year 2050 was seen by as valid progress for the group and for the world as a whole as these nations joined together for this global climate commitment. Jim Conaughton, chairperson of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, commented on the fact that all major countries are now in agreement, in the long term, with the need to reduce greenhouse gases across the globe. Conaughton stated, "It has always been the case that a long term goal is one that must be shared. So the G-8 has offered today is a G-8 view of what that goal could be and should be but that can only occur with the agreement of all the other parties.” [CNN: “G-8 vows to halve emissions by 2050”] The environmental side had their own opinions on the agreement. Please read on. |
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