Environmental non-governmental organizations have mixed feelings about the deal G8 leaders reached on climate change. While some believe that some progress has been made, others consider the summit declaration worthless.
Antonio Hill, Oxfam senior adviser welcomed that G8 leaders have endorsed the UN process to tackle climate change and agreed to negotiate a post-2012 frame work within this forum. But he added that poor countries, practically those in Africa, will not be able to bear the burdens that climate change brings.
Tear Fund, a UK relief and development organization based in the UK, Says they are disappointed because of the failure of all G8 countries to agree to a clear target to keep temperature rise well below 2 degrees above historic levels.
Andy Atkins, advocacy director for Tear Fund said: ˜The G8 leaders have jumped some important hurdles but there is along way to finish line. He added: ˜It is significant they have agreed to start talks in Bali in December and conclude them by 2009 under the authority of the UN. It is also important that the Communiqué notes the commitment by the EU, Japan and Canada to the goal of at least 50% global emissions cuts by 2050. This will put pressure on the other countries.
The German non-governmental organization ˜Netzwerk Freies Wissenâ rejected final declaration of G8, and said the paper is going in the wrong direction in terms of climate change. In a similar vein, Greenpeace USA argues that deal is “clearly not enough to prevent dangerous climate change”. Daniel Kittler of Greenpeace International added: “Governments failed to commit to what science tells us is necessary. They must
Now urgently do so at the United Nations.”
He continued that the leaders, of the world’s wealthiest nations, Failed to take into account that reducing CO2 emissions by 50 percent, Compared to 1990 levels, by 2050 is not a negotiable diplomatic point, but Rather a physical reality. He also said that, we learned from the last 15 years a voluntary measures simply don’t work.
