Fine words on global warming and climate change were not in short supply. Detailed agreements were. The G8 developed countries agreed to cut their emissions by 80% by 2050 and said worldwide emissions should fall 50% by the same date.

They also agreed to try to limit global warming to just 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial levels. Interestingly, in the communique announcing the targets, the application of an “exit strategy” – as sought by Germany – until recovery is assured was put off. But these were only targets with no detailed obligations.

The G5 group of developing nations – China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico – weren’t impressed and refused to sign up to a deal. Although, China and India did agree to the 2C target.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon criticised the leaders of the G8 nations for failing to make deeper commitments to combat climate change. He commented: “The policies stated so far are not enough”. Further, Mr Ban said the G8′s agreement was welcome, but the leaders needed to establish a strong and ambitious mid-term target for emissions cuts by 2020.

“This is politically and morally imperative and a historic responsibility for the leaders… for the future of humanity, even for the future of Planet Earth,” he told the BBC.

Mr Ban said the leaders also had to come up with financial incentives for poorer countries to reduce pollution and aid to help them mitigate the effects of climate change.

The main problem is a tension between the G8 and G5 about who should be doing more to cut global greenhouse gas emissions.

On one hand, the G5 countries, likely to cause the largest rise in greenhouse gas emissions, feel that they should be allowed to develop and enjoy the lifestyle of the developed nations. India especially has long argued that it will not compromise its economic growth by agreeing to climate curbs.

The developing countries want the G8 nations to sign up to a 40% cut by 2020. India is already complaining that the G8′s long-term targets for 2050 are too long-term and that G8 countries are ducking interim targets for 2020 which would make their 40-year ambitions more credible.

There is no serious offer from the G8 of large scale additional finance for developing countries to adapt to climate change and to help them develop in a sustainable, low carbon way.

Any agreement will hang on this point. Otherwise, there is no good reason why developing countries should sign up. The G8 could give some of the short-term finance for needed for a reduced-carbon economy as a trust-building exercise in the short term.

On the other hand, the developed G8 nations are having difficulties reducing their carbon emissions in the short- to medium -term, particularly during the economic downturn. Big bail-outs and stimuli packages mean that money is tight.

The 2020 targets demanded by the G5 from the G8 are unlikely to be achieved by the European Union and, given the difficulty that proposed carbon-trading legislation is having passing through the senate, not likely for the US either.
The G5 feel that the G8 should do more to reduce their emissions before preaching to them as India is doing so most vocally. The summit host, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, said that a deal should be all-inclusive.

“It would not be productive if European countries, Japan, the United States and Canada accepted cuts that are economically damaging while more than five billion people in other countries carried on as before,” he said.

But there were signs of conciliation. President Obama said:

“We have made a made a good start, but I am the first to admit that progress is not going to be easy. Every nation on this planet is at risk, but just as more than one nation is responsible for climate change no one nation can solve it alone.

Developing nations want to make sure they do not have to sacrifice their aspirations for development and higher living standards, yet with most of the projected growth in emissions coming from these countries their active participation is a prerequisite to a solution.

Developed countries like mine have a historic responsibility to take the lead with our much larger carbon footprint per capita. I know that in the past the US has sometimes failed to meet its responsibilities so let me make it clear those days are over.”

Wise words. Hopefully, the leaders of both the G8 and G5 will heed them and those of Secretary General Moon and make meaningful progress to reducing global warming at the Copenhagen Summit in December.

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