G8 SUMMIT: Fury at fresh Leaked Climate manuscript

Adarsh Verma July 10, 2007

Friends of the Earth today showed irritation at the content of a fresh seep out of the outline declaration on climate change for next month's G8 Summit which has deleted proposals to fund explore and disturbingly even calls into question scientists' warnings that global climate change is by now in progress.

The document entitled 'Gleneagles Plan of Action', dated 14 June, has been watered down from a preceding draft which itself had no exact targets or timetables for accomplishment. The newest draft also backs the use of so-called "zero-carbon" nuclear supremacy.

"This draft shows no growth is being made on taking action to tackle climate change - despite the high profile efforts of the UK Prime Minister. Indeed negotiations seem to be going backwards. If the leaders of the world's richest countries cannot have the same opinion to undertake the utmost menace facing the earth, what kind of management are they showing to the rest of the globe? Friends of the Earth International's climate campaigner Catherine Pearce said.

"Each suggestion to the importance of deed or the want for genuine cuts in emissions has been deleted or challenged. Nothing in this text recognizes the scale or necessity of the catastrophe of climate change. If they can’t do better than this, the conclusion of G8 summit will be inferior that hot air: it will be a backward step in worldwide climate change policy, simply adding up to climate prejudice."

Friends of the Earth Scotland's Chief Executive Duncan McLaren, said:
"Every proposal that G8's visit to Scotland would create everything consequential on tackling climate change is quickly evaporating. The primary draft of this document was awful, this fill in is even worse. G8 countries represent just 13 per cent of the world's population, but account for 45 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. A climate graph of achievement, by the world's richest nations, that does not comprise targets, timetables and extra funding is of no use to future climate sufferers."

Friends of the Earth's stress for the G8 comprise:

• G8 nations must stop promoting relic gas withdrawal in rising nations in the course of international financial institutions such as the World Bank and export credit agencies.

• G8 governments should straight away phase-in public finance for sustainable clean power.

• Conformity on the forceful scientific proof screening that climate change is already happening and that imperative action is now required to significantly lessen emissions.

• An agreement by G8 nations for specific, substantial and timetabled cuts in their domestic emissions of greenhouse gases.

• Countries have to take fundamental action at home in arrange to trim down the impacts of climate change, as well as a change in expenditure patterns and a significant switch to the use of renewable sustainable energy sources.