Trying to find common ground and agreeing on new targets regarding climate change, the world’s major industrialized democracies have their work cut out for them in L’Aquila, Italy, at the 2009 G8 Summit.
G8 Leaders agreed on new goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50-80 per cent by mid-century, and to try to limit global warming to just 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Temperatures have risen 0.7 degrees Celsius since that world-changing revolution that started us down the path of unhampered fossil fuel burning.
It was pointed out by the summit’s host, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, that any work the G8 accomplishes towards these goals would, in effect, be nullified if other emerging economic powerhouses, such as China and India, do not get on board and share the same concerns.
“It would not be productive if European countries, Japan, the United States and Canada accepted cuts that are economically damaging while more than 5 billion people in other countries carried on as before,” Mr. Berlusconi said.
Hopes were dampened though, after China and India rejected demands to cut emissions in half by 2050.
We only have one planet to share, thus a unified global effort is required. However, this jargon sounds slightly reminiscent of a young child whining to his mother, ‘why do I have to clean my room when Johnny isn’t?’
The point is: cleaning our room is the right thing to do. Cleaning our planet is even more important. If stable, developed countries do not take the lead because of fears of the economic implications, it is unlikely other nations will take action.
Is all this summit discussion just a lot of talk and no action? It remains to be seen how far commitments to the planet will go. Perhaps further developments will come to light at a decisive U.N. Climate Conference scheduled for this December in Copenhagen.
