The New Nation - Internet Edition

Tarequl Islam Munna

Leaders of the Group of eight countries issued a joint communique and a "plan of action" on Climate Change and Energy Security G8 summit from July 7-9,2008 at the Windsor Hotel Toya Resort and Spa in Toyako, Hokkaido island in northern Japan, according to White House of the press secretary and G8 Research Group sources.

In the communique, the leaders declared that "climate change is a serious and long-term challenge that has the potential to affect every part of the globe" and that human activities "contribute in large part to increases in greenhouse gases associated with the warming of the Earth's surface.

As host of the 2008 G8 summit, Japan is eager to take leadership in building international consensus for a post-2012 framework on reducing emissions and tackling global warming after the current Kyoto Protocol expires. Japan has proposed setting up a new mechanism to provide incentives for developing countries to work on cutting emissions, such as by improving energy efficiencies, without affecting economic growth. The Environment, Africa, intellectual property rights, and nuclear safety should be a prominent part of the Japanese focus.

Japan is considering extending about 500 billion yen ($4.5 billion) over five years, possibly starting this year, to about 40 developing countries that have expressed their intention to help address climate change by implementing energy-saving targets or specific action plans. With the Japan-led "financial mechanism" on climate change for developing countries, Tokyo is poised to take the lead in negotiations to craft a global framework to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which will expire in 2012, especially in the run-up to the Group of Eight summit in Hokkaido this July. Japan will ask its G8 peers to join the fund so that it can announce specific programs in the initiative and the amount of funds involved as a tangible result of the G8 summit.

The first session of the G8 environment ministers is to be held on Okinawa, which was the venue of the G8 summit during Japan's previous G8 presidency eight years ago. The need to hold such a meeting is connected with the fact that efforts to abate global climate changes will be the main subject of discussion at the forthcoming summit in Hokkaido. The G8 ecology ministers also plan to discuss measures to avert droughts, and epidemics of infectious diseases such as the Western Nile fever, the spread of which, it is believed, is also a result of global warming.

Japan and the United States are considering convening a leaders' summit of major carbon emitters and a U.S.-led meeting of major emitters ahead of the Group of Eight summit.

Holding the two meetings concurrently in Japan, the two countries plan to take the lead in building a long-term global goal of "halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050" as a "joint conclusion" of the U.S.-led talks and the G8 summit, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and U.S. President George W. Bush have agreed to this bilateral initiative, and the two nations have begun working-level talks on a plan to hold the "Environment and Energy Summit" of G8 leaders and their partners from other carbon emitters and the U.S.-led "Major Economies Meeting on Energy Security and Climate Change" ahead of the G8 summit in Hokkaido.

The United States and Japan will work closely together:

To make the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meeting in Bali in December a success and establish a "Bali Roadmap" that will advance formal negotiations on an effective post-2012 framework.

To ensure, in connection with the G8 Hokkaido Summit in Japan this year, that members fulfill their G8 commitments on climate change and energy security, and to cooperate to make tangible progress toward the establishment of an effective framework on climate change beyond 2012 under the UNFCCC. To advance the Major Economies Process leading up to a leaders meeting in 2008 that concludes with a detailed contribution to a global agreement under the UNFCCC by 2009, pursuing an agreement that is based on commitments by all major economies to take action, allows for flexibility and diversity of approaches, and is environmentally effective and economically sustainable.

To focus major economies' discussions of a future global framework on key elements, including:

A long-term global goal for greenhouse gas emissions reductions, consistent with economic development objectives.

National plans that set mid-term goals to advance the global goal, with each country selecting its own mix of binding, market-based, and voluntary measures that are environmentally effective and measurable.

Collaborative technology development and deployment strategies for key sectors, including low-carbon fossil power generation, transportation, land use, near-zero carbon energy (e.g., nuclear, wind, and solar), and energy efficiency -advanced by international sector-based discussion.

Financing mechanisms to support adoption of cleaner, more efficient technologies, along with the reduction and elimination of trade barriers for clean energy goods and services.

And improved measurement and accounting systems to track progress; and Robust programs on forestry, adaptation, and technology access for all UN members.

To highlight the value for a future global framework of a sector-based approach and public-private cooperation, as demonstrated successfully in the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP).

To continue this leading role in research and development of clean energy and climate technologies and encourage other major economies to increase public funding, as the United States and Japan have, for research and development of clean energy and climate technologies in order to promote the commercialization and adoption of such technologies, increase energy efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while strengthening energy security and economic growth.

To further enhance cooperation in the field of nuclear energy under the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership and the U.S.-Japan Joint Nuclear Energy Action Plan, in light of a growing interest in nuclear energy in the Asia-Pacific region, to provide a clean power generating option without greenhouse gases in a manner ensuring nuclear non-proliferation, safety, and security.

(Tarequl Islam Munna: Conservator, wildlife and environment, in taking positive environmental action around the world to conserve the nature and ecological balance on behalf of World Wide .)