International Relations: Eco Eco Ecologicaly...

G-8 trumpets victory on climate accord

HEILIGENDAMM, Germany: The United States agreed Thursday to "seriously consider" a European plan to combat global warming by cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050. The deal averted a trans-Atlantic deadlock at a meeting here of the Group of 8 industrial nations.

The compromise, hammered out in tough negotiations between the United States and Germany, also endorses President George W. Bush's proposal to bring together the world's largest emitting countries, including China and India, to set a series of national goals for reducing emissions.

But it does not specify a mandatory 50 percent reduction in global emissions, a key provision sought by Chancellor Angela Merkel, nor does it commit the United States or Russia to specific reductions.

Nevertheless, Merkel, the host of the G-8 meeting, proclaimed it a major victory. She had placed climate change at the top of the agenda for this gathering and put heavy pressure on Bush to relax his opposition to mandatory cuts in emissions.

"If you think of where we were a few weeks ago and where we have reached today, this is a big success," Merkel said in this Baltic Sea resort where the leaders were meeting.

The United States had threatened before the meeting to reject large parts of the German proposal, which reaffirms the role of the United Nations as the primary forum for negotiating climate agreements. Now, though, the Bush administration has agreed for the first time to take part in negotiations to craft a new global agreement on climate policy by 2009. Such a pact could form the basis of a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012 and was never ratified by the United States.

Bush's national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, said after the meeting Thursday: "One of the features I think we all agreed to is that there needs to be a long term global goal to substantially reduce emissions. There are obviously a number of ideas as to how that should be done."

Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain, who has long prodded Bush to embrace a stricter climate policy, said the agreement represented "a very substantial coming together" of the world's leaders on this issue.

Environmental groups had a different impression, with several noting that the agreement did not alter the Bush administration's refusal to accept binding targets for emissions reductions.

"He has only agreed to consider the goal," said Philip Clapp, president of the National Environmental Trust. "This is the kind of language that emerges from a discussion in which people say 'We have to have something to take back to our publics.' "

But some other experts said it was very significant that the Bush administration had agreed to help negotiate a new climate agreement by 2009, within the framework of the United Nations.

In the past, White House officials have cast doubt on the need for an agreement. Bush's proposal last week to convene a conference of the largest emitters stoked suspicions among some Europeans that he would pursue climate change on a parallel track with the United Nations.

"The United States is now on a bandwagon they cannot stop," said Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, a German expert on climate change who is Merkel's chief adviser on climate policy. "That is more than I expected. In a way, climate common sense prevailed at the last minute."

The compromise came after weeks of personal diplomacy by Merkel - first to marshal support for her plan from other Group of 8 leaders, then to persuade Bush to edge toward her position.

"Merkel was focused, stubborn and determined to reach a deal," said a senior German official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The chancellor had the support of Blair and of José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, with whom she brokered a deal to sharply reduce carbon dioxide emissions in Europe. Nicolas Sarkozy, the new president of France, also voiced his strong support. Then last week, Germany received an endorsement of its plan from the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, who is scheduled to take over the presidency of the Group of 8 in January.

But, said the German official, "It was about winning over Bush to get on board and support the UN process on climate change." Merkel telephoned Bush in recent weeks and met him for lunch on Wednesday, before the other leaders arrived in Heiligendamm.

Proponents of debt relief for Africa were harsh in their assessment Thursday of nearly two-year-old promises by the G-8, yet remained hopeful that the group's leaders would hold true to their pledge of providing money and help to reduce poverty on the continent, The Associated Press reported.

Bono, the musician and social activist, told a crowd attending a protest concert in nearby Rostock that he had a "very tough meeting" with Merkel and was convinced, at one point, that he might have to throw in the towel.

Bob Geldof, another activist who is a music producer, said the U2 singer became depressed during their meeting with Merkel. Geldof said the German chancellor was talking about sending only €700 million, or $940 million, to Africa, instead of the €1.5 billion they said was needed.

Africa will probably dominate the agenda through Friday's meetings of the G-8 heads of state, and activists said they would be looking for a renewed commitment to the continent.

"The G-8 must prove its promises were more than empty rhetoric and say when and how they will increase aid," said Charles Abani, who oversees Oxfam International in southern Africa. "There can be no more excuses. The cost of inaction is too high. Chancellor Merkel must lead the others in today announcing how they will meet their promises to increase aid."

Prime Minister Romano Prodi said Italy, which owes €260 million and did not pay in 2006 and 2007, pledged to pay that amount and would increase aid spending to €400 million next year. Japan has also signaled that it would not block any language in the final statement on targets to increase aid, combat AIDS and provide more education in Africa.

"This is incremental progress, but it should not be so painful," said Oliver Buson, European director of Debt AIDS Trade Africa. "These tiny concessions must not mask the truth, which is that the G-8 are still a long way from fulfilling their promises to educate every African child and to ensure those who need AIDS treatment get it."

Blair, who led the call for African debt relief at the G-8 meeting in Gleneagles, Scotland, in 2005, said the G-8 must not lose its focus. He said the group must "focus on recommitting ourselves to the Gleneagles process on Africa, on making major steps forward there in relation to things like HIV/AIDS and education," he said Thursday.

Source: The International Herald tribune, By Mark Landler and Judy Dempsey, Thursday, June 7, 2007