World Economy

May 24, 2008

G-8,

The environment ministers of the G-8, and those of eight developing countries, began Saturday a three-day meeting in Kobe, in west-central Japan, to discuss new ways to fight against the global warming, while new data indicate a worsening situation.


During a panel discussion devoted to this issue, environmentalists have called for an intergovernmental rapid action to address the effects of rising temperatures, scientists' advice, could lead to the extinction species, increased flooding and droughts, and reverse economic development.

The rapid melting of ice in the Arctic and the decline of biodiversity are all effects of global warming on a global scale, said Bill Hare, an expert at the Potsdam Institute for Research on the impact of climate.

According to him, soaring oil prices could have an accelerator effect on climate change. A barrel growing up, above the bar $ 130, also has the effect of encouraging the use of coal, fuel much cheaper but also more polluting.

"Recent developments in the energy sector, particularly high oil prices and the intensive use of coal, include the risk of emissions most important greenhouse gas," he told ministers. "It is too early to determine whether it is a sustainable pattern of change (...) but it is certainly a risk factor."

The Kobe meeting is held within the framework of the process initiated by the United Nations to achieve by December 2009 to conclude a new pact on global warming, known as successor to the Kyoto Protocol, whose first phase ends in 2012.

Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the Framework Convention on UN Climate Change, said on the sidelines of those discussions that the environment ministers of G-8 should decide to decisive action at the summit of Toyako in July.

The Group of Eight (USA, Japan, Russia, Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Canada) must decide objectives midterm in its ambition to reduce CO2 emissions by 2020, transfer of "clean" technologies to developing countries and dialogue with nations like China, alongside the UN process.

"I expect the G-8 leaders that they now go into higher gear, the deadline of December 2009 was very close," said de Boer.

The first exchanges in Kobe, however, have revealed persistent divisions on how to combat climate change. Representatives of the Japanese employers have called for commitments from developing countries present (South Africa, Australia, Brazil, China, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Mexico), while Brazilian officials voted for massive transfers of technology and assistance to poor countries.

While continues at the Bonn Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the ministers were also to reaffirm in a "call Kobe" their commitment to slow the loss of diversity of living by 2010

by erectusplus at 9:56 AM |