G-8 and Major Economies Processes

The G8 Climate Dialogue
Japan is the host of the 2008 Group of 8 (or G8) Hokkaido Toyako Summit, and has made climate change the top priority, focusing discussion of world leaders on the "Cool Earth Promotion Programme," which builds on its proposal last year to cut world emissions in half by mid-century. The program includes the discussion of the post-Kyoto Framework, the creation of a fund to deploy clean technologies to developing countries, and investment in the development of innovative technologies to create a low carbon society.  The G8 nations began devoting a significant portion of their annual meeting agenda to climate change in 2005 in Gleneagles, Scotland, under the chairmanship of then-UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.  At the St. Petersburg G8 summit in 2006, participants agreed to develop an effective approach to the three interrelated challenges of energy security, economic growth, and environmental protection.  In 2007, the G8 met in Heiligendamm, Germany, and agreed to “consider” decisions made by the EU, Canada, and Japan to cut global GHGs by 50% by 2050.  Parties also re-committed to moving forward within the UN process as the central forum for negotiations on climate change, with a view toward reaching a new post-2012 emissions agreement involving all major emitters.

Listen to a June 27th press briefing featuring:

• Philip Clapp, Deputy Managing Director, Pew Environment Group
• Mark Helmke, Senior Professional Staff Member - U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee
• Jennifer Morgan, Director, Climate and Energy Security Programme, E3G

The Major Economies Meetings
President George W. Bush initiated a new series of international meetings – the Major Economies Meetings on Energy Security and Climate Change – in September of 2007 when he invited 16 nations representing some of the largest economies of the world to Washington, D.C. to discuss climate change.  A second meeting of the 'MEM,' as it is coming to be known, took place in January 2008 in Honolulu, Hawaii.  President Bush’s goal is to guide the nations with the highest emissions to come to an agreement on what each country is willing to do to reduce emissions individually.  According to the White House's Chairman’s Summary of the Washington meeting, "All [participants] underlined the central role of the UNFCCC as the global forum for addressing climate change. Speakers underlined their commitment to contribute to global efforts under the UNFCCC, reflecting their national circumstances and in line with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. Speakers welcomed the U.S. initiative as a contribution to these efforts." The MEM is set to conclude in July with a meeting of the participants' Heads of State to be held at the same time as the G-8 meeting in Japan.