8 July 2009
G8 leaders are in danger of squandering opportunities and plunging poor people into deeper climate chaos and poverty, as the annual world leaders’ summit gets underway.
In what is a crucial year for climate change, where a post 2012 climate deal must be agreed in December, announcements today by the countries responsible for causing the climate crisis fail to match the level of ambition desperately needed.
Paul Cook, Advocacy Director for relief and development agency Tearfund, said: 'What part of the word urgency do G8 leaders not understand?
'We sincerely hope that the Major Economies Forum (MEF) will step up to the mark and announce stronger commitments in their response tomorrow.
'Their reference to the need to keep global temperature rises below two degrees is welcome, as is their commitment to cut their own emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 and the recognition of the need to peak and decline emissions.
'However they failed to set an ambitious goal for 2020 emissions targets, and crucially there is no reference of the urgent need to deliver billions, not millions, for financing mitigation, adaptation and technology to help poor countries respond to climate change.
'Adequate finance is the sticking point currently deadlocking negotiations and so far the group has failed to put their money where their mouths are.'
Tearfund is calling for developed countries to deliver funding in the range of $150 billion per year on top of Overseas Development Assistance.
In addition to long term funding, they are also urging world leaders to deliver ‘no strings’ new money to be distributed to poor countries before 2012.
Anything less will severely weaken relations between rich and poor nations and trigger a breakdown in trust that will block progress towards a strong and fair climate deal, Tearfund states.
Looking towards the Major Economic Forums (MEF) communique, to be released tomorrow, the relief and development agency hopes that where the G8 have failed, the MEF will succeed.
As well as climate change, the communiqué on Africa and Development, released today, also fails to address the injustice that sees 900 million people worldwide go without clean water and 2.5 billion without a decent toilet.
'This is simply a staggering disregard for basic human rights and a missed opportunity,' says Paul Cook. 'How many of these leaders would have been happy to come here if they were told there would be no toilet facilities or clean water?
'G8 leaders were urged to sign up to a Global Framework for Action in order to reverse the current water and sanitation crisis plaguing developing countries. Instead they presented a vague reference to a plan of action by the end of the year, and some nice words.
'No money was needed - it was a simple ask and they sadly failed to deliver.
'Over the next couple of days we must see an end to the half measures we have seen thus far. Platitudes and rhetoric must be replaced by concrete policy commitments, if the G8 are going to continue to remain relevant in the arena of tackling global poverty issues,' Cook concluded.