Sigmar Gabriel: "The 2-degree goal defines the framework for Copenhagen"
Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel considers the results of the L'Aquila (Italy) summit a very good basis for the UN Climate Change conference in Copenhagen in December. The German government and the EU want a new global agreement to be adopted in Copenhagen. Gabriel outlined: "In L'Aquila the heads of state and government agreed that global warming must not exceed 2 degrees Celsius. This is the decisive signal for success in Copenhagen, since this defines the standard for the future Copenhagen Agreement and since the required cuts in emissions can be derived from this. The 2-degree goal must now also be anchored in a UN context."
At the L'Aquila summit both the G8 countries and the group of the 16 major developed and emerging countries (Major Economies Forum, MEF) committed themselves to international climate protection. MEF countries produce about 80 percent of the annually emitted greenhouse gases. The pledge of both groups of countries to limit the average temperature increase to less than 2 degrees based on pre-industrialisation reference levels is a substantial success. In the fight against climate change the G8 thus again assume a frontrunner role by setting a greenhouse gas emission reduction goal of 80 percent by 2050 for developed countries.
With this goal the G8 acknowledged their responsibility to play the leading role in climate protection. With regard to Copenhagen it will now be crucial to agree on a long-term global target. It is also decisive for an agreement in Copenhagen that in L’Aquila emerging countries demonstrated their preparedness to contribute to climate protection for the very first time. Without contributions from emerging countries such as China and India it will not be possible to reach the 2°C goal. Minister Gabriel outlined: "There is still a lot of work ahead of us, despite the success of L’Aquila. Developed countries must now indicate how they intend to reach the goal adopted within the G8 context, i.e. to at least halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Medium-term greenhouse gas reduction targets up to 2020 will play a crucial role here. Europeans have a very ambitious position which will hopefully encourage other developed countries to make similar commitments".
Among the issues requiring urgent clarification before the Copenhagen conference are the concretisation of developing countries' climate protection contributions and the financial support for developing countries' climate protection measures.