Merkel celebrates G8 climate agreement

Merkel celebrates G8 climate agreement
By Fiona Harvey in Kuhlungsborn
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Published: June 7 2007 11:14 | Last updated: June 7 2007 15:34


Angela Merkel on Thursday hailed a G8 agreement on climate change as the wealthy nations agreed on a goal to cut greenhouse gases and negotiate a new agreement on tackling climate change within the United Nations.

After tough negotiations, the US agreed to ”seriously consider” a goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2050, a compromise reached after other leaders present called for a firm target.

Fiona Harvey reports from the G8 summit on the US shift in climate change policy
”In setting a global goal for emissions reductions in the process we have agreed today involving all major emitters, we will consider seriously the decisions made by the European Union, Canada and Japan which include at least a halving of global emissions by 2050,” the G8 said.

The US also committed itself to beginning negotiations on a UN agreement on emissions later this year in Bali.

Ms Merkel said the agreement was ”very successful” and ”a clear commitment to continue the UN climate process.”

She said: “Many countries moved on this issue.”

The commitment to pursue an agreement through the UN marks a clear departure from the Bush administration’s previous position of refusing to participate in discussions of what would follow the Kyoto treaty when its current provisions expire in 2012.

Mr Bush said earlier in the day: “The United States will be actively involved, if not taking the lead, in a post-Kyoto framework, post-Kyoto agreement.”

Such a commitment would go beyond Mr Bush’s plans last week for a series of meetings among the 15 biggest greenhouse gas emitters, to discuss climate change.

”Getting this commitment could be more important than the targets,” one person from a European delegation said before the declaration was agreed.

However, environmental groups warned that Mr Bush was only agreeing to UN talks on a post-Kyoto framework in order to appear less isolated internationally.

Phil Clapp, president of the US National Environmental Trust, said: “He has not really changed his position at all.”

Mr Clapp also said a long term aim to cut emissions, such as was agreed on Thursday, was of less value than a shorter term commitment: “What matters is what you do on emissions in the next ten years, not by 2050.”

Mr Bush also repeated comments from Wednesday that the US wanted to be a bridge between Europe and China and India on climate change. ”I told Tony that we’re deadly honest” in wanting to ”get something done”.