Brussels, 09/07/2009 (Agence Europe) - In recognising that the average rise in the temperature of the surface of the planet should be less that 2º Celsius, compared with the pre-industrial era, G8 leaders, meeting in L'Aquila hosted by President of the Italian Council Silvio Berlusconi, have, for the first time, accepted the scientific recommendations for avoiding dramatic climate change. This, for many observers, is the least that could be expected, but the European Union has welcomed this step forward which presages future progress in international climate negotiations.
The leaders of the world's richest countries also restated their desire that global greenhouse gas emissions should be reduced by half by 2050 (with the peak coming as quickly as possible, followed thereafter by reduction). This target means that, collectively, the industrialised countries will have to reduce their emissions by at least 80% by 2050, the conclusions say. G8 leaders failed, however, to reach agreement on a binding mid-term target, avoiding once again mentioning any interim date. 2020, so dear to the European Union as a medium-term date, does not appear in the conclusions. 1990, the EU's preferred reference year for industrialised countries' long-term emissions reductions, is merely one date among others. “We support a goal of developed countries reducing emissions of greenhouse gases in aggregate by 80% or more by 2050, compared to 1990 or more recent years. Consistent with this ambitious long-term objective, we will undertake robust aggregate and individual mid-term reductions, taking account that baselines may vary and that efforts need to be comparable. Similarly, major emerging economies need to undertake quantifiable actions to collectively reduce emissions significantly below business-as-usual by a specified year,” the conclusions limit themselves to saying. The EU, however, does not take umbrage. Not that it is giving up on what it wants (a reduction of 30% for industrialised countries as part of the Copenhagen international agreement in December), but, at this point, it was not expecting any more.
“I hope that our partners will be able to come closer to the EU position. I hope that they will accept the 2º as the scientific basic reference value for a policy framework - a year ago in Toyako, this wasn't possible,” said European Commission President José Manuel Barroso at the opening of the summit. He also set out a reduction of at least 80% by 2050 for rich countries as a key objective. “It would be real progress if we could get that,” he added. In this, then, it was a case of “Mission accomplished”. “This is not yet the final stage of negotiations. I think, personally, that it all will be decided in Copenhagen (COP 15, 7-18 December: Ed.). But it is important that we are as close as possible to an agreement,” Barroso said.
Rosario Bento Pais, a Commission expert and negotiator on an international agreement in Copenhagen, said in Brussels on Thursday 9 July, as the Forum of Major Economies was continuing that the outcome of the G8 was “very satisfactory”. Commenting on the lack of a 2020 target, she said, “We knew that the G8 would not set this target. Some developed countries even want only 2050, with no intermediate date”. The important thing, she said, was comparability of effort, based on reference years and setting a mid-term marker. “It doesn't matter whether it's 2018 or 2025. We have to be flexible in negotiations with 192 countries,” she said. Moreover, the G8 is not a negotiating body in Copenhagen.
Swedish Prime Minister and President in office of the EU Council Fredrik Reinfeldt continues to believe that a “mid-term goal is important now because, in 2050, most of today's leaders will no longer be there. The best would be 1990 as the reference year and 2020 as a mid-term target, but we understand that things might develop a bit differently”.
While welcoming the acceptance by the G8 of scientific recommendations, the Greens/EFA in the Parliament said the G8 agreement was a “vague declaration on distant targets which will not match the urgent need for action on the climate”. CIDSE, an alliance of Catholic development NGOs working for world justice, hailed this step forward, but regretted that the G8 conclusions did not contain any firm commitment on the funding of the aid needed for action on climate change in developing countries. “The G8 does not seem to understand that climate change will make poverty permanent and will reduce to nothing decades of progress towards development. They are playing with the lives of millions of people who are among the poorest in the world,” said Joanne Green, of the UK NGO CAFOD, a member of CIDSE. (A.N./transl.rt)