07 Jun 2007 - Heiligendamm,
Germany – Leaders from the world's eight
major industrialized nations have taken
important steps on climate change, agreeing
to negotiate a UN deal to reduce emissions
in the long-term by 2009, says WWF.
The G8 Heads of State, however, failed
to give concrete figures and timelines.
Today's agreement shows that public pressure
to stop global warming and keep it well
below 2°C over pre-industrial levels
has led Canada and Japan closer to the EU’s
position.
"The support by the EU, Japan and
Canada to cut carbon pullution 50 per cent
by 2050 means we are a step closer to taking
real action for the world’s climate,"
says Hans Verolme, Director of WWF's Global
Climate Change Programme.
“But real emission cuts still have to be
negotiated and countries must recognize
the need for staying below 2°C. The
fact that the US has signed up to this agreement
is significant, now is the time for concrete
actions."
WWF commends Germany’s Chancellor Angela
Merkel for leading the world's largest economies
to reach an agreement that brings the world
closer to long-term binding targets for
emission reductions.
"Global carbon markets will be buyoed
by the clear support from the G8 for a 2009
end date to the post-2012 negotiations,"
says Regine Guenther, Head of WWF-Germany's
climate change programme.
"We are pleased that the world's most
powerful nations are ready to begin negotiations
in Bali in December this year, and want
to conclude an agreement in 2009 that will
keep the climate safe."
Martin Hiller, Communications Manager
WWF Global Climate Change Programme
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G8 Summit - WWF Daily Statement, Thursday
7 June 07
07 Jun 2007 - THE LATEST – G8 Sherpas have
been negotiating intensely over the past
night, to resolve remaining open questions,
many of them on climate change. At the same
time, voices from different heads of state
and government have differed widely. Climate
change is scheduled to be negotiated amongst
the G8 leaders at 4 p.m. this afternoon.
WWF provides a measure for success or failure.
THE CRITERIA – Only the final declaration
will show if the outcome is more useful
or more detrimental to international efforts
to curb climate change. WWF has 3 criteria
to measure success for the outcome of the
G8 Summit:
Concrete targets – in hard numbers – to
be set to be achieved: reducing greenhouse
gas emissions by 50% by 2050, based on base
year 11000 emissions; keeping the earth
well below 2°C warming of average global
temperature; improving efficiency of energy
use by 20% by 2020 in industrialized countries.
The G8 should also recognize the special
responsibility of industrialized countries
for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, an
issue that will be of central importance
to the G8 meeting with the Heads of State
of the 5 largest developing economies on
Friday.
Recognizing the preeminence of the UN process
and the multilateral regime building on
the Kyoto Protocol is of key importance.
The next UN conference in Bali in December
needs to launch formal negotiations, which
need to finish by 2009. Vague words simply
refering to the UN process are not enough.
An unequivocal commitment to the global
carbon market and its continuity after 2012
– if handled correctly this market can put
a price on CO2 pollution and provide a strong,
efficient market incentive to dirty companies
to clean up their act.
THE QUOTE – “The G8 have to come clean
and go beyond vague reassurances. We know
that switching to a clean economy has many
advantages at little or no additional cost
of the world economy,” says Hans Verolme,
Director of the WWF Climate Change Programme.
“The nine leaders will only be able to justify
holding yet another Summit if they come
forward with bold and visionary decisions.
Their responsibiliy is to move from words
to action at Heiligendamm. Chancellor Merkel
will have to press the other leaders hard
as the world is watching and we have no
time to waste.”
BACKGROUND – The G8 Heads of State Summit
in Heiligendamm, Germany, has climate change
and energy efficiency as two of its main
topics. The German presidency of the Summit
aims at agreeing to launch serious UN negotiations
for new emissions reduction targets for
the next phase of the Kyoto Protocol from
2012. It proposes energy efficiency goals
for the G8 nations to reduce energy consumption
by at least 20% by 2020. The G8 is asked
to affirm the need for global warming to
be kept well below 2°Celsius and to
cut global emissions 50% by 2050 from 11000
levels.
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Canada joins US as worst performer on climate
change
04 Jun 2007 - Berlin, Germany - The US
and Canada come in last under WWF's Climate
Scorecards, which rate each of the G8 countries'
performance on climate change. The US’s
bottom ranking underscores a disconnect
between President Bush’s announcement last
week and ongoing US attempts to block progress
at G8 negotiations aimed at stopping dangerous
climate change, says WWF.
WWF’s Climate Scorecards give a comparable
snapshot of climate policies in G8 countries,
covering recent and expected emissions,
and key response activities by G8 governments.
The three top performers are Germany, France,
and the UK, though each is likely to see
increases in emissions if more aggressive
policies and measures are not implemented
soon. New up-to-date information is also
provided on the climate actions of the world's
largest emerging economies - Brazil, China,
India, Mexico, and South Africa.
"By presenting climate promises without
action, the Bush administration undermines
German Chancellor Merkel's effort to secure
a meaningful agreement at G8." says
Hans Verolme, Director of WWF's Global Climate
Change Programme. "Canada must break
ranks with the US to restore its former
reputation as a leader on climate change."
According to the analysis, the US and Canada
have yet to begin limiting emissions of
heat trapping gasses in a timeframe that
will avoid dangerous climate change.
In an effort to spark global action, German
Chancellor Angela Merkel is calling on fellow
heads of government to reach a landmark
deal at the G8 Summit in Germany. This should
include a commitment to keep global warming
below 2°C, reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by half before mid-century compared to 11000
levels, and secure the long-term viability
of carbon markets. The continuation of the
UN climate change process should be the
foundation, including a strong outcome at
UN talks in Bali in December this year.
"Despite President Bush’s proposal,
US negotiators continue to oppose virtually
all G8 proposals that would go beyond voluntary
agreements", said Hans Verolme. "Canada
is tacitly supporting the US by signalling
it will sign up to only the weakest of climate
declarations."
"The market has put much faith in
the global emission trading scheme",
said Hans Verolme. “The market value of
emission trading could hit the 20 billion
US-Dollar mark at this year. We therefore
need a post-2012 climate policy regime to
continue this market-based mechanism to
reduce CO2 emissions. The politicians should
not betray the trust the markets have placed
in them.”
EDITORS NOTES
1. Global financial services provider Allianz
has co-commissioned the score-cards to get
a better understanding of the progress that
G8 member states make in their climate change
policies.
2. WWF’s G8 Scorecards can be downloaded
at www.panda.org/climate/g8.
3. Scorecards are also provided for major
developing countries (Brazil, China, India,
Mexico and South Africa), where a number
of initiatives are already underway. These
five countries are expecting large growth
of emissions in the future and the question
remains how G8 countries will assist them
in developing in a less carbon intensive
manner. These countries have not been scored
in the same manner as G8 due to their different
national circumstances and level of development.
4. Interviews for radio, TV and print are
available with our spokespeople. To book
interviews with Hans Verolme, Director of
WWF’s Global Climate Change Programme, you
can contact him on m +1 202 492 7358.
5. For broadcast-standard video supporting
this press release, please visit www.thenewsmarket.com/wwf.
If you are a first-time user, please take
a moment to register. In case you have any
questions, please email wwf@thenewsmarket.com.
6. For more information on WWF’s Global
Climate Change Programme go to http://www.panda.org/climate.
