Environmental Minister Sigmar Gabriel: "Bali meeting will be the litmus test for the seriousness of the agreements reached in Heiligendamm"
Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel welcomes the agreement achieved at the G8 summit in Heiligendamm with regard to climate protection:
"The agreement reached by the major industrialised countries sends a clear signal with regard to strengthening climate policy within the framework of the United Nations."
He noted: "Heiligendamm gets us two large steps forward on our road to a global environmental protection agreement. First, the heads of state and government have laid the foundation for a long-term goal: Reducing global GHG emission by at least 50 per cent by 2050. Second, they have agreed on a roadmap to achieve this goal: Negotiations on a new UN climate protection agreement are to be concluded by the end of 2009."
"Thus the summit sends a clear signal - investments into climate protection pay off more than ever before as the target date of 2009 for negotiations on the post-Kyoto agreement ensures that global trade with emission certificates will be continued. The halving of GHG emissions agreed upon gives new impetus and will promote the development of environmentally sound technologies. This confirms the need for an ecological industrial policy which promotes and rewards climate friendly innovations", continued Minister Gabriel.
He then stressed: "It is a great success that now also the US acknowledges the UN process as the central forum to agree upon future climate change commitments. The G8 have also agreed to elaborate a specific input for the UN process together with all major emitters by the end of 2008, thus taking the lead. The great challenge now lies in supplementing these agreements with specific ambitious measures. The Bali meeting will be the litmus test for the seriousness of the agreements reached in Heiligendamm. At that meeting we will have to start comprehensive negotiations on a binding framework for the years after 2012. This is the only way to stick to the roadmap set out by the G8 summit."
Further information:
- TV broadcast: ZDF morgenmagazin of 08.06.2007: "Heiligendamm - ein Durchbruch"
(Statement by Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel starts at position 00:58:00, in German) - List of topics: G8 2007 Environment Ministers Meeting
- www.g-8.de/Webs/G8/EN: Official Website for the G8 summit in Heiligendamm