Tiempo Climate Newswatch

Leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations have agreed to consider and adopt, in the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process, the goal of achieving a reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions of at least 50 per cent by the year 2050. The need for shorter-term goals was recognized, but with no agreement on specific targets. While this was the first time that the United States had accepted a long-term goal, criticism of the deal was harsh. Tom Picken of Friends of the Earth said that "setting a vague target for 42 years' time is utterly ineffectual in the fact of the global catastrophe we all face. Urgent action is needed to tackle climate change and spiralling energy prices caused by our addiction to increasingly expensive and insecure fossil fuels."

The G8 communiqué underlines the need for all nations to contribute to the international response, stating that the "global challenge can only be met by a global response." Following the annual G8 summit, the G8 leaders met with eight other nations, Australia, Indonesia, South Korea and the Group of Five (G5) major developing economies, India, China, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa. These sixteen nations account, in total, for 80 per cent of global carbon emissions. They agreed that "deep cuts in global emissions will be necessary to achieve the Convention's ultimate objective," but could not agree on actual targets. The G5 nations want to see the developed nations taking the lead in achieving "ambitious and absolute" greenhouse gas emission reductions, committing to an 80 to 95 per cent emissions cut below 1990 levels by 2050 and a mid-term target of a 25 to 40 per cent cut by 2020. The G8 has committed US$150 billion in public and private investment to ensuring developing countries grow their economies with green technology.

Asha-Rose Migiro, deputy secretary-general of the United Nations, has warned that a "war footing" must be adopted to combat climate change. She was speaking at a General Assembly follow-up to the February session on climate change. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, president of the Maldives, urged the United Nations to adopt a new universal right to live in a safe, secure and sustainable environment, the declaration of which would promote climate justice. "It is surely wrong for small vulnerable communities to suffer because of the actions of other, more powerful, resource-rich countries," he said.

Climate change is one of the top priorities for the current session of the United Nations General Assembly, reports the Assembly's president, Srgjan Kerim. "Climate change poses special threats and places extra demands on a considerable group of countries. For them the threat is far from abstract and remote, but clear and present and may already affect the actual livelihoods of their people," he said. He considers that an international agreement on combating climate change is now more achievable than ever before. "To achieve this, we need to build on our previous work and strengthen the ability of the United Nations system to assist vulnerable countries build their capacity and capability to adapt," he said, addressing the General Assembly follow-up debate.

Ports authorities from around the world, meeting in Rotterdam, have endorsed the World Ports Climate Declaration, an industry commitment to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality. Rotterdam mayor, Ivo Opstelten, told the meeting that port cities had a unique responsibility to combat climate change. "For a long time, it [carbon emissions] was something we did not pay much attention to," he said. "Now is the time for action." The port of Rotterdam aims to cut its carbon emissions by 50 per cent by the year 2025.

There was disagreement at the conference regarding the scale of the maritime transport contribution to global emissions, with estimates varying from 1.5 to 4.5 per cent. There was also discussion of the scope of any emissions reduction commitment, particularly the situation of ships registered in developing nations. "It seems completely incongruous that two ships, carrying similar cargo, loaded in the same port, sailing at the same speed and having the same destination, should be treated differently because they are registered under two different flags," commented Efthimios Mitropoulos, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization. The Declaration is the first step towards the development of concrete international measures. Issues to be considered include a global indexing system that will enable port authorities to reward climate-friendly ships and punish the polluters.