Agencies say G8 has missed the mark on energy issues

-18/07/06

The leaders of the worl


Agencies say G8 has missed the mark on energy issues

-18/07/06

The leaders of the worldís eight most powerful industrialised countries have missed an opportunity for visionary thinking on the future of the worldís energy supply, says Christian Aid ñ which has been mobilizing on the issue alongside Tearfund and other agencies.

As the 2006 G8 summit closed in St Petersburg, Russia, Valdimir Putin, this yearís chair, published details of a G8 ëplan of action to enhance energy securityí. The plan is aimed both at making global supplies of energy less vulnerable to political insecurity and terrorism and at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in an attempt to tackle climate change.

Mr Putinís closing statement said that G8 leaders had reaffirmed their ìÖcommitments to meet the objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and dealing with climate change, including through promoting an inclusive dialogue on further action in the future.î

ìIn last yearís Gleneagles closing statement, G8 leaders talked about taking urgent action to meet the challenges of climate change,î explained Andrew Pendleton, Christian Aidís policy adviser on climate change.

ìThis yearís statement,î he went on, ìdoes not have any of that sense of urgency and action to reduce carbon emissions is eclipsed by concern about shoring-up supplies of oil, gas and coal.î

Christian Aid is campaigning on climate change because of its impact on poor people. In ‘The climate of poverty’, a recent report, Christian Aid predicts that more than 182 million people in Africaís poorest countries will die of increasing disease caused by climate change.

The report also argues that millions of poor people are already being affected by profound shifts in weather patterns linked to climate change.

ìAlmost one-third of the worldís people ñ the poorest ñ have no access to modern forms of energy. Small-scale, renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, is a perfect solution and one that will not cause a massive explosion in carbon emissions as countries develop. And yet these get little backing from the G8, who appear still to be obsessed with securing new supplies of oil, coal and gas,î said Mr Pendleton.

He continued: ìWhile of course there have been other pressing issues competing for the G8ís attention, itís difficult to imagine how the worldís most powerful leaders, when faced with the worldís greatest challenge, can come up with something so utterly inadequate and so lacking in vision.î


Agencies say G8 has missed the mark on energy issues

-18/07/06

The leaders of the worldís eight most powerful industrialised countries have missed an opportunity for visionary thinking on the future of the worldís energy supply, says Christian Aid ñ which has been mobilizing on the issue alongside Tearfund and other agencies.

As the 2006 G8 summit closed in St Petersburg, Russia, Valdimir Putin, this yearís chair, published details of a G8 ëplan of action to enhance energy securityí. The plan is aimed both at making global supplies of energy less vulnerable to political insecurity and terrorism and at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in an attempt to tackle climate change.

Mr Putinís closing statement said that G8 leaders had reaffirmed their ìÖcommitments to meet the objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and dealing with climate change, including through promoting an inclusive dialogue on further action in the future.î

ìIn last yearís Gleneagles closing statement, G8 leaders talked about taking urgent action to meet the challenges of climate change,î explained Andrew Pendleton, Christian Aidís policy adviser on climate change.

ìThis yearís statement,î he went on, ìdoes not have any of that sense of urgency and action to reduce carbon emissions is eclipsed by concern about shoring-up supplies of oil, gas and coal.î

Christian Aid is campaigning on climate change because of its impact on poor people. In ‘The climate of poverty’, a recent report, Christian Aid predicts that more than 182 million people in Africaís poorest countries will die of increasing disease caused by climate change.

The report also argues that millions of poor people are already being affected by profound shifts in weather patterns linked to climate change.

ìAlmost one-third of the worldís people ñ the poorest ñ have no access to modern forms of energy. Small-scale, renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, is a perfect solution and one that will not cause a massive explosion in carbon emissions as countries develop. And yet these get little backing from the G8, who appear still to be obsessed with securing new supplies of oil, coal and gas,î said Mr Pendleton.

He continued: ìWhile of course there have been other pressing issues competing for the G8ís attention, itís difficult to imagine how the worldís most powerful leaders, when faced with the worldís greatest challenge, can come up with something so utterly inadequate and so lacking in vision.î