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TechnoratiClimate Change Experts Call on G20 Members to Commit to Action
• Last-ditch effort to gain specific promises at G20 • Leaked communique all but ignores green issues
A last-ditch effort is being made to insert clearer green commitments into the global economic recovery package. The move comes amid fears amongst some British government officials that the G20 summit is in danger of missing a unique opportunity to prevent the world from being locked into irreversible and catastrophic climate change.
Gordon Brown yesterday promised that a commitment to tackle the environment will be one of the five tests of the communique due to be released following the summit on Thursday, adding "there were long hours of hard negotiations ahead".
Number 10 counselled caution insisting that the main climate change event of the year will be at Copenhagen in December, when the UN hopes to reach a global deal to replace the Kyoto agreement.
The draft G20 communique leaked at the weekend makes only the smallest reference to climate change, and appears to be vague on the subject of how green the $2tn (£1.4tn) stimulus package agreed by world leaders should be.
This provoked the eminent climatologist James Hansen, director of Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, to tell the Guardian: "If this is the best they can do, then their 'planet in peril' rhetoric is probably just that - empty rhetoric."
Professor Robert Watson, chief scientific adviser for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, also voiced concern about the limited commitment to a low-carbon economy: "I think it [low-carbon recovery] deserves a higher profile. Everybody seems to be focusing on short-term recovery and getting long-term regulation of the banks right. I haven't heard anything that suggests the green recovery and climate change are a major part of the [G20] agenda."
He added: "It would be a missed opportunity while they're talking about the economy not to talk about how to transform it to low carbon."
Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group, which works with major businesses and governments to promote a low-carbon economy, said: "What is lacking from the statement as a whole is timetables, targets and amounts. It lacks specifics on anything."
Some senior British officials privately believe the framing of the G20 stimulus package to ensure it has a large green element will be as decisive in the battle against climate change as the outcome of the UN talks on climate change in Copenhagen.
British ministerial sources insisted last night that there will be no mention in the communique of what proportion of the new jobs stimulated by the economic recovery package will be low-carbon roles. They suggested that any mention of green jobs might be seen as a form of covert protectionism by some members of the G20.
British officials said yesterday they regard it as essential that during the summit China gets a clear message from countries such as South Africa, Mexico, France, Germany, Britain and the US that they are all committed to tackling climate change and that China will not be put at a disadvantage if it shapes a low-carbon recovery.
Lord Stern, the government's former climate change adviser, yesterday tried to increase the pressure on the G20 by arguing that the worst recession since the 1930s gave the world the opportunity to lay the foundations for growth over several decades, based on low-carbon technology and energy efficiency.
He said the argument that the first priority was to deal with the current economic crisis and postpone action on climate change was "wrong and should be confronted".
He called for the G20 leaders to send out a signal that the "difficult" work of getting the specifics of a deal in place needed to be done. "This is an opportunity to have a green recovery that lays the foundations of growth for the next two to three decades."
A report by HSBC found that the US, Europe, China and South Korea lead global "green" spending plans after committing $300bn-$500bn to boost low-carbon technologies under wider plans to boost the global economy.
Green spend accounts for about 15% of the total economic spending of $2tn-$3tn.
6 Comments so far
Show All"This is an opportunity to have a green recovery that lays the foundations of growth for the next two to three decades."
Growth is not the answer, but the problem.
MANDATE FOR REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL NEGLECT
There are no reasons why economic improvement measures cannot focus on environmental preservation-- and every reason why they should. Americans have a mandated duty to assist the third world nations in their pursuit of ecological friendly development, while surviving the conditions resulting from the global warming and pollution for which we bear much responsibility.
By allowing further neglect and impediments of environmental reform measures, such as those that had been imposed under the past administration, our international disdain and related threats from terrorism can only worsen.
Our rejection of this Kyoto and Bali Conferences, underscore the dangerous control that special interests had exercise over the past administration’s policies. Their distortions of scientific data typifies their unconscionable war on science.
Evidence linking carbon pollution to warming has long been as close to certain as science can be. Its causes, consequences, and mitigation requirements have been documented by many dedicated environmental organizations including The Union of Concerned Scientists.
Special interests argue that the current warming trends follow historic warming cycles, and hence reflect natural weather patterns--but they omit obvious differences: The earlier warming trends developed at slower rates which permitted the ecosystems to adapt. Morever they resulted from temporary natural events, which allowed transitions back to normal temperature patterns--by contrast, the current warming patterns result from artificial causes that will only intensify unless mitigated.
By all indicators, global warming will self perpetuate as the melting ice sheets absorb rather than reflect heat, as the melting permafrost releases more CO2 & methane, and the list goes on. Inundation of low lying areas, spread of tropical diseases to temperate latitudes, sea life destruction from changing ocean chemistry, & currents, are only some potential consequences. Often overlooked is the fact that, the same measures needed to mitigate global warming would be necessary even if it were no issue. Conservation, alternative energy development, anti- pollution refinements, etc are essential for other vital environmental reforms such as air and water quality, reductions in toxic waste generation, land preservation, etc.
Contrary to right wing assertions, measures to reduce greenhouse gases could only improve our economy by lessening our trade deficits, and improving our security by reducing our dependance on foreign oil. We could also regain some of our lost world respect that has resulted from our rejection of Kyoto while arrogantly contributing disproportionally to carbon pollution. With our participation in international efforts, China & India could no longer use our non-compliance as an excuse for their non-participation.
The environmental and social damage from our indifference to carbon pollution can only worsen if we allow this administration, guided special interests, to continue their war against our planet.
At the current state of Biosphere decline and Greenhouse gas accelaration, G20 efforts need to be 100% green. The G20 normal agenda of jostling for power and serving their capitalist customers, and preserving the status quo will simply take us where we are already going fast, that is to hell. Its nice that they mouth that the planet is in peril. Kick starting the old world banger economy again may be a big waste of time, and just bring back the same old problems. Caring for the standard of living of the already rich, by the very rich, is not going to lead anywhere.
To the extent the financial crisis stops the economy , its doing better than all the paltry green policies so far. Let it drop production and consumption. A huge reduction is what the biosphere crisis needs. As the permafrost in the north is melting, and the methane is starting to spew into the atmosphere, anything less than a full economic collapse will eventually kill us all.
"A huge reduction is what the biosphere crisis needs"
Agreed, as long as drastic population control/reduction, as distasteful as it is, is included in the remedy.
There will be no effective steps taken until Copenhaagen is covered with ice, or under water---ironically, water melted off Denmark's largest province: Greenland. (Pick your favorite scenario)
We're gonna have to do it ourselves, folks. The G20 don't get it.
If the US and the Europeans were not so far apart on their economic strategies, they might be able to resolve them at the G20 summit and also have time to address environmental issues.
Unfortunately, Snobama wants "closer supervision of the financial industry", while the Europeans want real regulation of the financial industry, making it unlikely that they will come to terms on this issue this week.