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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