| Leaked G8 Climate Change Document 'Watered Down' | 07 July 05 |
 A leaked copy of a June 14, 2005 document on climate change drafted for the G8 summit shows plans have been watered down.A version of the communiqué leaked in May treated climate change as a fact and pledged unspecified dollar funds for research and development into new, clean technology and fuels. References in the May draft to "setting ambitious targets and timetables" for cutting carbon emissions from buildings has completely disappeared from the June 14 text. A section on managing the impacts of climate change which previously talked about global warming bringing more floods, droughts, crop failures and rising sea levels now contains just one reference to the global crisis. According to Friends of the Earth Scotland's Chief Executive Duncan McLaren, "The first draft of this document was bad, this update is even worse. G8 countries represent just 13 per cent of the world's population, but account for 45 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. A climate plan of action, by the world's richest nations that does not include targets, timetables and extra funding is of no use to future climate victims." The leaders of the G8 and major developing nations South Africa, Brazil, India, Mexico and China meet at the heavily guarded Gleneagles countryside hotel, 40 miles (65 km) northwest of the Scottish capital Edinburgh, July 6-8, 2005. View the June 15, 2005 Reuters news article View the June 16, 2005 Friends of the Earth International press release View the June 17, 2005 BBC News article View the July 5, 2005 Manitoba Wildlands news item on the G8 Summit and climate change Sources: Reuters, BBC, Friends of the Earth International |
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