U.S. President Obama chaired a meeting of the leaders of Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States as the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate in L’Aquila, Italy, on July 9, 2009. Together, these nations account for 80 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. From the draft declaration from leaders at this summit posted on Guardian.UK it seems the leaders took another small step backward in the quest for a substantial agreement in Copenhagen in December of this year.

Leaders are convinced that:

climate change poses a clear danger requiring an extraordinary global response.

Yes, we heard this yesterday, and leaders today reiterated that keeping global temperature increase to 2 degrees C from pre-industrial levels was desirable.

So, why do the leaders step away from yesterday’s agreement to “achieve a 50 percent reduction in global emissions by 2050, and to a goal of an aggregate 80 percent or more reduction by developed countries by that date.on a 50% reduction on emissions by 2050″, instead broadly agreeing to:

work between now and Copenhagen, with each other and under the Convention, to identify a global goal for substantially reducing global emissions by 2050.

What?? Substantially reduce emissions? Come on. We’ve been here before, today’s statement is a backslide on the G8 declaration.

They agree action is necessary, and that each leader will

undertake transparent nationally appropriate mitigation actions, subject to applicable measurement, reporting, and verification, and prepare low-carbon growth plans.

The leaders include talk of investment, without committing to dollar figures and leave to door open for each leader to be protective of national interests:

Drawing on global best practice policies, we undertake to remove barriers, establish incentives, enhance capacity-building, and implement appropriate measures to aggressively accelerate deployment and transfer of key existing and new low-carbon technologies, in accordance with national circumstances.

Developed nations will take the lead:

by promptly undertaking robust aggregate and individual reductions in the midterm consistent with our respective ambitious long-term objectives and will work together before Copenhagen to achieve a strong result in this regard.

and go beyond business as usual:

Developing countries among us will promptly undertake actions whose projected effects on emissions represent a meaningful deviation from business as usual in the midterm, in the context of sustainable development, supported by financing, technology, and capacity-building.

In the midterm???? what about NOW! Midterm to 2050 is 2030!

For the first time in a while countries commit to something:

Lead countries will report by November 15, 2009, on action plans and roadmaps, and make recommendations for further progress.

Oh, good, we’ll tell each other about our future plans and agree to meet again throughout the year:

our countries will continue meeting throughout the balance of this year in order to facilitate agreement in Copenhagen.

Undoubtedly, frequent high level meetings between countries with vastly different visions of climate change mitigation measures will be necessary to get the agreement in Copenhagen everyone is hoping for, but more importantly these meetings need to move leaders up the ladder towards a solution, not backwards.

Leaders of the World, we need More from you.

Link:

• text of Major Economies Forum declaration

Today the members of the G8, meeting in Italy released a declaration that that highlights the importance of Climate Change without committing member countries from taking any serious action.

Leaders of the G8 recognise the broad scientific view that the increase in global average temperature above pre-industrial levels ought not to exceed 2°C.

While G8 Nations express agreement that it is desirable that global temperature not rise above 2 degrees C, member countries fail to agree to firm commitments which will ensure this important temperature threshold is not breached.

On Climate Change

From the G8 Declaration:

The interlinked challenges of climate change, energy security and the sustainable and efficient use of natural resources are amongst the most important issues to be tackled in the strategic perspective of ensuring global sustainability.

We must seize the opportunity to build on synergies between actions to combat climate change and economic recovery initiatives, and encourage growth and sustainable development worldwide.

Consistent with this ambitious long-term objective, we will undertake robust aggregate and individual mid-term reductions . . .

We reiterate our willingness to share with all countries the goal of achieving at least a 50% reduction of global emissions by 2050, recognizing that this implies that global emissions need to peak as soon as possible and decline thereafter. As part of this, we also 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.

With a view to building on these experiences and to facilitate action under the global post 2012 agreement, we commit to further explore, taking into account national circumstances, the potential of carbon trading systems and their possible linkages;

Behind the Words:

The declaration is clear that human-caused climate change requires “Immediate and resolute action” but much less clear when it comes to putting solutions in place.

It is widely regarded that global Carbon emissions must start declining by 2015 in order to stave off the most drastic climate change scenarios possible. This in itself is a problem. To permit emissions to continue to climb (in Canada they climb almost 2% annually!) and to say they need to peak as soon as possible is disingenuous. Emissions need to start decreasing NOW. How soon is possible? 5 years, 10 years, 20 years? Kyoto is a decade old and although Canada declared to have emissions below 1990 levels by 2012 they are still on the rise and at present are 22% above 1990 levels.

Coupled with the pledge to have emissions by 2050 be 80% below 1990 or current levels is a direct challenge to the goals outlined by Kyoto which stated 1990 as the default baseline for emissions tracking. By allowing for a flexible date up to current emission levels, the G8 declaration openly disregards the Kyoto Protocol which called on developing nations to reductions in Greenhouse gas emissions of 5.2% vs. 1990 levels by the interim date of 2012. This is just the robust intermediate target, as the G8 declaration calls for, however Canada has declared not to meet its international obligations according to the Kyoto Treaty and is 27% above its agreed-upon greenhouse gas emissions target.

The declaration strongly supports Cap and Trade schemes which have been shown to be successful in reducing emissions, however the G8 loophole phrase - taking into account national circumstances, leaves application of this otherwise strong support for emissions trading on very weak grounds. It begs the question, “What are Canada’s circumstances regarding developing or participating in an emissions trading scheme?

On a Green Recovery

From the G8 Declaration:

The emergency response to the economic crisis should not overlook the opportunity to facilitate a global green recovery putting our economies on a path towards more sustainable and resilient growth. Our fiscal stimulus packages are increasingly investing in measures encouraging the creation of green jobs and low-carbon, energy efficient and sustainable growth. These include energy efficiency measures, investment in public transportation infrastructure, incentives for fuel-efficient vehicles, research in alternative sources of energy, support for renewable energy technologies, as well as in enhanced CO2 reduction, recycling and disposal such as Carbon Capture and Storage. We remain committed to enhance the environmental dimension of budgetary measures and to reinforce efforts to promote clean energy and energy efficiency.

Behind the Words:

The Declaration would be much more meaningful with specific targets for Green Fiscal stimulus. The US Climate Legislation which has recently passed the House of Representatives has billions in stimulus for a Greening of the Economy. Other countries have instituted specific recommendations for allocation of funds for green carbon friendly recovery. South Korea is allocating 80% of its recovery dollars for green projects. Instead Canada dumped the majority of fiscal stimulus into a failing automotive industry. The G8 declaration inspires little in the way of Green Fiscal Stimulus commitments for laggard member nations like Canada, ascribing no specific targeted stimulus investments to green economic recovery.

In Conclusion:

While the declaration fails to commit G8 members from taking action on Climate Change, it does succeed in highlighting agreement among members that Climate Change is the critical issue of the year. Hopefully, tomorrows Major Economies Forum (MEF) called by U.S. President Barack Obama to discuss progress towards a new global climate agreement will produce a more positive communiqué that identifies clear targets and commits contributing countries to firm targets and action on climate change.

Read the Entire Declaration

http://www.g8italia2009.it/static/G8_Allegato/G8_Declaration_08_07_09_final,0.pdf