Greenpeace reaction to G8 climate deal

Heiligendamm, Germany — Greenpeace condemned G8 leaders for failing to live up to their historic responsibility for climate change by not agreeing to keep mean temperature rise below 2 degrees compared to pre-industrial levels. The deal is “clearly not enough to prevent dangerous climate change” said Daniel Mittler, climate policy advisor of Greenpeace International.

Greenpeace welcomed that the G8 gave a political mandate for a start of serious negotiations for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol to start at the climate negotiations in Bali in December.

The US isolation in refusing to accept binding emission cuts has become obvious at this meeting. “The Bush administration have agreed to ”seriously consider“ that the rest of the world is setting reduction targets, but is as far away as from agreeing to such targets themselves as ever” said Mittler.

Greenpeace reminded the G8 governments that they need to reduce their emissions by 80-90 percent by 2050 if the world is to avoid catastrophic climate change. “Governments failed to commit to what science tells us is necessary here. They must now urgently do so at the United Nations.”