LEADERS FROM the group of eight major economies (G8) have agreed to try to limit the rise in global temperatures caused by climate change to a maximum of two degrees Celsius.
They have also warned that the global economy still faces “significant risks” and may need further stimulus efforts to prevent the economic crisis becoming a protracted recession. “We recognise the broad scientific view that the increase in global average temperature above pre-industrial levels ought not to exceed two degrees Celsius,” said a communique issued at the G8 meeting in L’Aquila yesterday.
Scientists have warned that any temperature rise above the two degrees level could make climate change irreversible, with potentially devastating consequences for global food supplies and ecosystems.
The agreement marks the first time the US, Russia and Japan have signed up to the two-degree limit and is a welcome step towards reaching a new global climate change deal in Copenhagen later this year. In December, world leaders will meet at the UN in an attempt to broker a successor to the Kyoto Protocol agreement to achieve big cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
Diplomats said US president Barack Obama played a key role in brokering the deal, although he warned other G8 leaders at the summit he faced a big political challenge in winning support at home for cutting emissions.
Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, who represented the EU at the meeting as his country holds the EU presidency, said the agreement would send a signal to the big developing countries that it was no longer business as usual and they would also have to reduce their emissions.
The 17 biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, which include developing states such as China, India and Brazil, are expected to sign up to the two-degree limit at the summit today. But initial hopes that developing countries would consider signing up to pledges to cut global emissions are unlikely to be realised at a follow-up meeting later today.
In their communique, G8 leaders said global emissions should be reduced by 50 per cent by 2050 and that the major industrialised states would reduce emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. But Chinese and Indian diplomats have said they are unlikely to sign up to any targets at a meeting today. The departure before the summit of Chinese president Hu Jintao, due to unrest in northwestern China in which 156 people have died, also makes any further progress on the climate change portfolio difficult today.
Climate change campaigners welcomed the agreement on the two-degree limit. But they criticised a lack of tangible policies to achieve their goals. “World leaders have come down to earth. We welcome them back here but why have they failed to tell us how they want to achieve what they promise?” asked Kim Carstensen, leader of the World Wildlife Fund climate change initiative. G8 leaders have also not yet indicated the level of financing that industrialised countries will provide to poorer countries to cope with climate change.
Summit: key points
CLIMATE CHANGEFor the first time the US, Russia and Japan have agreed not to allow global average temperatures to rise above 2 per cent. G8 leaders have also agreed that all countries should share a global goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
ECONOMYG8 leaders, warning that any recovery in growth is "uncertain and significant risks remain", have not ruled out taking further stimulus measures.
WORLD TRADEG8 are expected to agree a 2010 deadline for completion of World Trade Organisation talks when they meet the leaders of the five biggest developing states tomorrow.