The G7 preliminary climate change talks in Germany on June 7 and 8 laid a听positive groundwork for the upcoming UN conference in Paris in December where hopes are aimed for听a universal agreement听on climate.
The G7 countries, including听Canada, France,听Germany,听Italy,听Japan, the听U.K., and the听U.S. met for two days on June 7 and听8 in Germany.
The U.N.听conference in Paris targets a legally binding and global agreement on climate, with the aim of keeping global warming below 2掳C, which will be a first in over 20听years of U.N. negotiations, the conference web-page promotes.
"The G7 have set out a clear framework for the Paris agreement,"听Liz Gallagher, climate diplomacy programme leader at听Third Generation Environmentalism (E3G), a non-profit organization targeting global transition to sustainable development, told Anadolu Agency, Wednesday.
The seven-country group听agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by phasing out the use of fossil fuels by 2100.听
"It鈥檚 not the real deal yet, but it does raise the probability of Paris being a meaningful deal that marks a step change in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions," Gallagher added.
The G7 meeting听should be able to "accelerate the shift to phase out fossil fuels," Gallagher said and added that听the details now need to be negotiated in the听UN framework convention on climate change听to be held in December.
"Collective action to combat climate change听needs to be agreed within the framework of the U.N., including all countries, rich and poor and big and small," Wendel听Trio, director of听Climate Action Network Europe,听Europe's largest coalition working on climate and energy issues,听said.听
There is pressure on听governments to ensure that the Paris meeting will deliver an outcome that will bring collective action to prevent dangerous climate change, Trio added.
Many of the current commitments are "still insufficient to bring us to a pathway to keep temperature rise well below 2掳C," he stressed, but nonetheless听expressed his hope for a positive outcome.
"The fact that so many countries have or are in the process of delivering national commitments in the run up to Paris, is a positive sign that a substantial outcome can be reached in Paris," he said.
-EU emission target remains weak
Trio also commented on the听EU's 2030听emission pledge during last week's听G7 meeting saying it was听below the union's capacity.
The four EU member states听within the G7,听agreed to collectively reduce their emissions by at least 40 percent听by 2030.
"This is an important contribution from the EU, but way below what it can do,"听Trio said and added that听this is also well below what could be considered Europe's fair share of the effort to avoid dangerous climate change.听
Europe needs to use its full capacity to combat climate change, he asserted.
European countries听are also听celebrating听EU's Sustainable Energy Week between June 15 and听19.
By Zeynep Beyza Karabay
Anadolu Agency
zeynep.karabay@aa.com.tr
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