CFR Daily News Brief Group of Seven Agree on Carbon Goal

June 9, 2015 Daily News Brief

TOP OF THE AGENDA Group of Seven Agree on Carbon Goal Leaders of the Group of Seven nations committed to take "urgent and concrete action" on climate change in 2015 (Guardian), agreeing to reduce their economies' reliance on carbon fuels. In a communique issued after a two-day summit in Bavaria, members backed a 40 to 70 percent reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions from 2010 levels by 2050 (Al Jazeera). The group also reaffirmed the goal of limiting global warming in the twenty-first century to two degrees Celsius from preindustrial levels (WSJ). European members had pressed their G7 partners to sign up to legally binding targets (DW) for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but met resistance from the United States, which has been reluctant to set such targets.

ANALYSIS "The G-7 leaders didn't address in detail how to resolve all these issues. In U.N. climate talks on an envisioned pact in Paris later this year, countries have a hard time agreeing on much smaller things, like whether to renew their individual climate targets every five or 10 years," writers Karl Ritter for the Associated Press. "The problem with the G7 is the simple fact there are only 7 countries involved. Even if the group dramatically cuts emissions, there will be little impact on climate change if developing countries do not take similar actions," writes Kyle Bakx for the CBC. "First, it is unclear how promises made by the middle-aged leaders of rich countries will be honoured by their grandchildren. And even if the climate-change conference in Paris later this year reaches a deal, it is unclear if it will stick, or whether they will come via carbon taxes, a cap-and-trade system, subsidies for renewables, or all of these policies combined," writes the Economist.