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G8 Declaration on Environment and Climate Change
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary July 8, 2008

G8 Declaration on Environment and Climate Change

ÿÿWhite House News

ÿÿÿÿÿ G8 Summit 2008

Climate Change

22. We reconfirm the significance of the Fourth Assessment Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as providing the most
comprehensive assessment of the science and encourage the continuation of
the science-based approach that should guide our climate protection
efforts. We reaffirm our commitment to take strong leadership in combating
climate change and in this respect, welcome decisions taken in Bali as the
foundation for reaching a global agreement in the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process by 2009. We are committed to
its successful conclusion. Enhanced commitments or actions by all major
economies are essential for tackling climate change. Therefore, we endorse
the positive contribution of the Major Economies Leaders Meeting to the
UNFCCC.

23. We are committed to avoiding the most serious consequences of climate
change and determined to achieve the stabilization of atmospheric
concentrations of global greenhouse gases consistent with the ultimate
objective of Article 2 of the Convention and within a time frame that
should be compatible with economic growth and energy security. Achieving
this objective will only be possible through common determination of all
major economies, over an appropriate time frame, to slow, stop and reverse
global growth of emissions and move towards a low-carbon society. We seek
to share with all Parties to the UNFCCC the vision of, and together with
them to consider and adopt in the UNFCCC negotiations, the goal of
achieving at least 50% reduction of global emissions by 2050, recognizing
that this global challenge can only be met by a global response, in
particular, by the contributions from all major economies, consistent with
the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective
capabilities. Substantial progress toward such a long-term goal requires,
inter alia, in the near-term, the acceleration of the deployment of
existing technologies, and in the medium- and long-term, will depend on the
development and deployment of low-carbon technologies in ways that will
enable us to meet our sustainable economic development and energy security
objectives. In this regard, we emphasize the importance and urgency of
adopting appropriate measures to stimulate development and deployment of
innovative technologies and practices.

24. Making progress towards the shared vision, and a long-term global goal
will require mid-term goals and national plans to achieve them. These plans
may reflect a diversity of mitigation and adaptation approaches. Sectoral
approaches are useful tools among others for achieving national emission
reduction objectives. We look forward to discussing this issue with leaders
of other major economies tomorrow and to continuing the discussions among
the major economies and in the UNFCCC negotiations over the coming months.
We recognize that what the major developed economies do will differ from
what major developing economies do, consistent with the principle of common
but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. In this
respect, we acknowledge our leadership role and each of us will implement
ambitious economy-wide mid-term goals in order to achieve absolute
emissions reductions and, where applicable, first stop the growth of
emissions as soon as possible, reflecting comparable efforts among all
developed economies, taking into account differences in their national
circumstances. We will also help support the mitigation plans of major
developing economies by technology, financing and capacity-building. At the
same time, in order to ensure an effective and ambitious global post-2012
climate regime, all major economies will need to commit to meaningful
mitigation actions to be bound in the international agreement to be
negotiated by the end of 2009.

25. Sectoral approaches can be useful tools to improve energy efficiency
and reduce GHG emissions through dissemination of existing and new
technologies in a manner compatible with economic growth. We ask the IEA to
enhance its work on voluntary sectoral indicators through improved data
collection, complemented by business initiatives.

We emphasize the importance of expeditious discussions in the International
Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime
Organization (IMO) for limiting or reducing GHG emissions in the
international aviation and maritime sectors, bearing in mind the distinct
processes under the UNFCCC toward an agreed outcome for the post-2012
period.

26. We recognize the importance of setting mid-term, aspirational goals for
energy efficiency. In national goals and objectives, as well as in country
specific action plans, we will maximize implementation of the IEA's 25
recommendations on energy efficiency.

We welcome the recent decision to establish the International Partnership
for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC), of which the terms of
association will be determined by the end of this year, as a high level
forum for enhancing and coordinating our joint efforts to accelerate the
adoption of sound energy efficiency improvement practices.

We invite all interested countries to join those efforts.

27. We promote clean energy, given its importance in tackling climate
change and for the enhancement of energy security, by setting national
goals and formulating action plans followed by appropriate monitoring. We
believe that there are significant and growing economic and employment
opportunities in this sector.

We recognize the important role of renewable energy in tackling climate
change and in the long term reducing our dependency on fossil fuels.

We underscore the importance of sustainable biofuel production and use. The
same should apply for the broader use of biomass for fuel, heat and
electricity. We support the work of the "Global Bioenergy Partnership"
(GBEP) and invite it to work with other relevant stakeholders to develop
science-based benchmarks and indicators for biofuel production and use. We
are committed to continuing research and development of second generation
biofuel technologies.

28. We witness that a growing number of countries have expressed their
interests in nuclear power programs as a means to addressing climate change
and energy security concerns. These countries regard nuclear power as an
essential instrument in reducing dependence on fossil fuels and hence
greenhouse gas emissions. We reiterate that safeguards (nuclear
nonproliferation), nuclear safety and nuclear security (3S) are fundamental
principles for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Against this background,
an international initiative proposed by Japan on 3S-based nuclear energy
infrastructure will be launched. We affirm the role of the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in this process.

29. Recognizing the linkage between the potential impacts of climate change
and development, mitigation and adaptation strategies should be pursued as
part of development and poverty eradication efforts. A successful global
response to climate change requires a partnership between developing and
developed countries. Developing countries' efforts to put in place
appropriate national mitigation and adaptation plans to build low carbon,
climate resilient economies, should be supported by scaled up assistance
from developed countries.

30. Recognizing that poorer countries are among the most vulnerable to the
adverse impacts of climate change, we will continue and enhance cooperation
with developing countries, in particular least developed countries (LDCs)
and small island developing states, in their efforts to adapt to climate
change including disaster risk reduction. To address this issue, we commit
to support urgent actions to mainstream adaptation into broader development
strategies and encourage developing countries themselves to integrate
adaptation into their development policies. The early start of activities
under the UNFCCC Adaptation Fund should make an important contribution in
this respect. We call on the multilateral development banks and other
development agencies to support countries in this endeavor.

31. We will establish an international initiative with the support of the
IEA to develop roadmaps for innovative technologies and cooperate upon
existing and new partnerships, including carbon capture and storage (CCS)
and advanced energy technologies. Reaffirming our Heiligendamm commitment
to urgently develop, deploy and foster clean energy technologies, we
recognize and encourage a wide range of policy instruments such as
transparent regulatory frameworks, economic and fiscal incentives, and
public/private partnerships to foster private sector investments in new
technologies. We strongly support the launching of 20 large-scale CCS
demonstration projects globally by 2010, taking into account various
national circumstances, with a view to beginning broad deployment of CCS by
2020.

To accelerate these and other efforts, we are committed to increasing
investment in both basic and applied environmental and clean energy
technology research and development (R&D), and the promotion of
commercialization including through direct government funding and fiscal
measures to encourage private sector investment. In this respect, G8
members have so far pledged over the next several years over US$10 billion
annually in direct government-funded R&D. We also agree to take various
policy and regulatory measures to provide incentives for commercializing
these technologies.

We note the opportunity to promote research on complementary technological
approaches which may contribute towards maintaining a stable climate.

To respond to the growing demand for Earth observation data, we will
accelerate efforts within the Global Earth Observation System of Systems
(GEOSS), which builds on the work of UN specialized agencies and programs,
in priority areas, inter alia, climate change and water resources
management, by strengthening observation, prediction and data sharing. We
also support capacity building for developing countries in earth
observations and promote interoperability and linkage with other partners.

32. Substantial finance and investments will be needed to meet the urgent
challenges of mitigation, adaptation and access to clean energy in
developing countries. While the main sources of finance will be the private
sector, public resources are essential to help the poorest and to leverage
private resources, notably by financing incremental costs and can be very
effective in inducing emissions reduction when national policies provide
incentives for low carbon investment. In this regard, we welcome and
support the establishment of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) including
the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) and the Strategic Climate Fund (SCF),
administered by the World Bank. G8 members have thus far pledged
approximately US$ 6 billion as an ODA contribution to the funds and welcome
commitments from other donors. The CIF will scale up public and private
finance. They will have broad-based and inclusive governance mechanisms
and, as an interim measure, fill an immediate financial gap for urgent
actions until a new financial architecture under the post-2012 regime is
effective. The CTF will aim to promote low-carbon economies by helping to
finance deployment in developing countries of commercially available
cleaner energy technologies through investments in support of credible
national mitigation plans that include low-carbon objectives. The SCF will
help more vulnerable countries develop climate-resilient economies and take
actions to prevent deforestation, and could provide helpful lessons in the
context of discussions on post-2012 financing arrangements. These funds
will complement existing multilateral efforts, including the Global
Environmental Facility (GEF), which plays the key role as the main
financial instrument of the UNFCCC and which we are committed to
reinforcing. We also welcome various bilateral financial initiatives taken
by G8 members, including public/private partnerships capable of generating
additional investment. We expect such financial assistance to be delivered
in a coordinated manner and encourage active engagement by developing
countries in an effective post-2012 framework.

33. Market mechanisms, such as emissions-trading within and between
countries, tax incentives, performance-based regulation, fees or taxes and
consumer labeling can provide pricing signals and have the potential to
deliver economic incentives to the private sector. We also recognize that
they help to achieve emission reductions in a cost effective manner and to
stimulate long-term innovation. We intend to promote such instruments in
accordance with our national circumstances and share experience on the
effectiveness of the different instruments. In this regard, we welcome the
Action Plan for Climate Change to Enhance the Engagement of Private and
Public Financial Institutions adopted by our Finance Ministers.

34. Efforts in the WTO negotiations to eliminate tariffs and non-tariff
barriers to environmental goods and services should be enhanced with a view
to disseminating clean technology and skills. Additionally, consideration
should be given to the reduction or elimination of trade barriers on a
voluntary basis on goods and services directly linked to addressing climate
change. We also agree to encourage initiatives contributing to climate
change mitigation including purchasing and investment policies and
practices that promote and support the cleaner and more efficient products
and services that can contribute to lower carbon emissions.

35. We welcome the final report of the Gleneagles Dialogue on Climate
Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development. We also welcome the
reports submitted by the IEA and the World Bank on their work related to
the Gleneagles Plan of Action and continue to cooperate with those
organizations. We value the useful exchange of views both between member
countries and also business and civil society participants and acknowledge
the role that further exchanges of this nature can play in supporting
action on climate change and the UNFCCC process.

We note the significant progress made by the multilateral development banks
on the Clean Energy Investment Framework (CEIF) agreed at Gleneagles and
welcome their joint level of ambition to mobilize public and private
investments of over US$100 billion up to 2010 from within existing
resources. We call upon these Banks to build on the CEIF to develop
comprehensive strategies to guide the integration of climate change into
their development work and to set specific targets for low carbon
investments like renewable energy.

Forest

36. We encourage actions for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and
Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD) including the development
of an international forest monitoring network building on existing
initiatives. Recognizing the urgent need to curb illegal logging and its
associated trade, we welcome the G8 Forest Experts' Report on Illegal
Logging. We will follow up, as appropriate, its preliminary list of
options. We will make all possible efforts by ensuring close coordination
among various fora and initiatives with a view to promoting effective
forest law enforcement and governance and sustainable forest management
worldwide. We will also consider ways to enhance our cooperation to combat
forest fires.

Biodiversity

37. Recognizing the crucial importance of the conservation and the
sustainable use of biodiversity as highlighted at the 9th meeting of the
Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity held in
Bonn, we share the concerns regarding the vulnerability of biodiversity. We
endorse the Kobe Call for Action for Biodiversity and reiterate our
commitment to increase our efforts to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss
significantly in order to achieve the globally agreed 2010 Biodiversity
Target, including by reducing threats from the illicit trade in wildlife.
We will promote a co-benefits approach that will lead to reducing
greenhouse gas emissions and conservation and sustainable use of
biodiversity as well. We note the importance of improving the interface
between research activities and the public and policy makers.

3R

38. In implementing the principles of the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), we
recognize the importance of how we use resources throughout their life
cycles to a thriving global economy and environment. To this end, we
endorse the Kobe 3R Action Plan. We will set targets as appropriate taking
into account resource productivity, based on the work of the OECD in
furthering efforts to optimize resource cycles. We recognize the importance
of information sharing, stakeholder partnerships, and the inclusion of 3R
viewpoint in project development and investment. We recognize the
significance of reducing barriers to trade in remanufactured goods and for
the G8 members to the WTO to support the recently submitted proposal to
liberalize trade in remanufactured goods under the WTO Doha Round. We
support the international circulation of reusable and recyclable materials
and resources in an environmentally sound manner consistent with the Basel
Convention.

Education for Sustainable Development

39. We promote Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) by supporting
the UNESCO and other organizations in the field of ESD and through
knowledge networks among relevant institutions including universities to
encourage actions by the public leading to a more sustainable and low
carbon society.

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