Non-UNFCCC Tracks
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Group of 8 (G8)
Group of 20 (G20)
Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (MEF)
Greenland Dialogue
Head of State Discussions on Copenhagen Outside of UNFCCC
As the deadline for a new agreement in Copenhagen looms closer, elements of a new global climate agreement have made it on to the agenda of several Head of State meetings outside of the UNFCCC process. These high-level discussions often play a role in building consensus between key groups of countries. The Head of State engagement in 2009 parallels similar high-level activity in the lead up to the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, with the Rio+5 Head of State Summit at UN Headquarters, and the Summit of the Eight (G8) meeting in Denver.
For a visual overview of the process, click the thumbnail to the left to view a map of how the different pieces connect.
Group of 8 (G8)
2009 G8 Summit—L’Aquila, Italy (July 8-10)
The annual G8 summit was hosted this year by Italian President Berlusconi in L’Aquila, Italy, held alongside a Head of State meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (add cross link). Climate change has been featured prominently on the agenda of several G8 Summits, starting with the Summit of the Eight in Denver in 1997. Following the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Kyoto Protocol, several unsuccessful attempts were made through the G8 meetings to gain reengagement of President Bush to support international efforts to address climate change, most notably the Gleneagles Summit in 2005 hosted by U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair.
What outcomes were reached in L’Aquila
Endorsement of a global emissions reduction goal of 50% by 2050.
Support of specific aggregate emissions reduction goal “in aggregate, by 80% or more by 2050, compared to 1990 or more recent years.” The agreement left open was which baseline year would be included, reflecting the differences between those countries who want to stick with 1990 and those who want to use an more recent base year, due to a rise in emissions since 1990 (Canada, United States, and Japan. Japan has since shifted its target to a 1990 base year).
Commitment to limit global temperature rise to 2° Celsius above pre-industrial levels.(See G8 Leaders Declaration: Responsible Leadership for a Sustainable Future, paragraph 65).
Members
Heads of State of Canada, the Russian Federation, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States, together with the European Union make up the G8 country attendees. In keeping with recent practice, the Group of Five (G5) Countries (Brazil, People’s Republic of China, India, Mexico and South Africa.) were invited to take part in the meeting in L’Aquila, along with countries that make up the Major Economies Forum, the NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa’s Development) founder states, the representatives of the African Union and Spain, Turkey and the Netherlands.
Origination
The G8 Summit, previously the G7 Summit (Russia was granted full participation in 1997), has been held on an annual basis among Heads of State or Government of the major industrial democracies since 1975 to address major economic and political issues they are facing.
Group of 20 (G20)
2009 G20 Summit: Pittsburgh, United States (September 24-25)
The G20 Summit in Pittsburgh had been identified at the Major Economies Forum meeting in L’Aquila as an important opportunity to make progress on one of the most important issues for reaching a deal in Copenhagen, climate finance and investment in developing countries. President Obama communicated that “We’ve asked the G20 finance ministers to take up the climate financing issues and report back to us at the G20 meeting in Pittsburgh in the fall.”
The European Union did put forward new proposals for climate finance in advance of the G20 Summit, tabling a Communication: Stepping up international climate finance: A European blueprint for the Copenhagen deal. However, the Leader’s Statement of the Pittsburgh Summit indicated little progress has been made on this critical issue, noting: “We welcome the work of the Finance Ministers and direct them to report back at their next meeting with a range of possible options for climate change financing to be provided as a resource to be considered in the UNFCCC negotiations at Copenhagen”(para 33.). This next meeting of the G20 Finance ministers is set for November 7-9 in St. Andrews, Scotland.
Fossil Fuel Subsidies
Progress was made on the issue of phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, which President Obama identified as a priority for the Pittsburgh Summit. The Leader’s Statement of the Pittsburgh G20 Summit outlined the following commitment and next steps (paragraph 29):
Rationalize and phase out over the medium term inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption.
We will have our Energy and Finance Ministers, based on their national circumstances, develop implementation strategies and timeframes, and report back to Leaders at the next Summit.We ask the international financial institutions to offer support to countries in this process.
Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (MEF)
U.S. President Barack Obama announced the creation the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate in March 2009, to bring leaders of 7 major economies together to help generate the political leadership necessary for a successful outcome in Copenhagen. By providing more direct dialogue among the largest economies, representing nearly 80% of global emissions, outside of the formality of a UN negotiation process, the intention of the MEF is to allow for more candid conversations and help to narrow differences more quickly. These political agreements can ultimately be taken back within the U.N. process to help support negotiated agreements in Copenhagen.
Italian President Berlusconi convened a Head of State meeting of the MEF alongside the G8 meeting in L’Aquila on July 9th, 2009, which produced the L’Aquila’s Leaders Declaration of Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate. (pdf) While much of what was included had been stated in other forums before, the Declaration was a significant broadening of the global consensus to avoid a 2°C global temperature increase, and also recognized the importance of achieving a peak in global emissions as soon as possible, and for all countries to develop low carbon growth plans. However, agreement could not be reached on a global reduction of 50% by 2050, in line with the G8, due to concern that such a target would be used to cap developing country emissions without developed countries having adequately committed to significant near term emission reductions.
Meeting Status:
- October/November meeting expected, but not yet scheduled.
- Fourth meeting of the MEF was September 17-19, 2009 in Washington, DC. Official summary can be found here.
- Third Meeting, Jiutepec, Mexico, June 22-23, 2009. Summary can be found here.
- Additional information can be found on U.S. State Department MEF site.
Members
The 17 major economies are: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Denmark has also been invited to participate, in its capacity as host of COP-15 and President of the Conference of the Parties, who plays a critical position in facilitating the negotiations.1
Origination
Michael Froman
The MEF had its origins in the Major Economies Meeting that was convened by the U.S. by President George W. Bush, and criticized by some as attempt to undermine the U.N. process as the forum for reaching agreement.2 President Obama, working initially in concert with Italy, revived the process to help build stronger consensus on the key elements of the political package that would form an agreement in Copenhagen.
Chair: Michael Froman, Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs
Greenland Dialogue
Initially convened in Ilulissat, Greenland in 2005, the Greenland Dialogue has served as another forum outside of the formal negotiations for governments to have informal, Ministerial level discussions of cooperative solutions to address climate change. Two meetings have been convened in 2009 by Danish Minister for Climate and Energy Connie Hedegaard in the lead up to COP15 with the objective of building momentum and increasing political consensus heading toward Copenhagen.
Chair’s Summary of 2009 Greenland Dialogue Discussions (pdf)