After the diplomatic challenges, make way for the climate emergency at the G7 summit

Published on : 06/13/2021 – 08:46

United in the face of the challenges of China and Russia, determined to put the planet on a straight line after the pandemic, the leaders of the great powers of the G7 tackle the climate emergency on Sunday, on the third and last day of their summit in England.

Their intense day on Saturday, where work sessions and discreet side meetings followed one another, ended with a moment of relaxation – immortalized by a new family photo – around grilled marshmallows and a hot rum on the blond sand. from the seaside resort of Carbis Bay, Cornwall.

Accompanied by sea chants and an overflight by the acrobatic patrol of the Royal Air Force, these moments of conviviality were preceded by the announcement of joint initiatives in the face of the great challenges of the planet, from the pandemic to diplomacy. by Russia and China, at the first in-person summit in almost two years.

This image of good relations was however tarnished by the dissensions, exposed in broad daylight, between Europeans and British on Brexit and the thorny issue of Northern Ireland.

Bringing together his British, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Canadian allies against Moscow and Beijing is a major objective of US President Joe Biden’s European tour, his first trip abroad which marks the United States’ return to the country. international scene after the isolation of the Trump era.

Sunday, the summit puts the spotlight on the climate, a major issue for the United Kingdom, which hosts the major UN conference in November (COP26).

G7 leaders aim to halt the decline in biodiversity by 2030, protecting at least 30% of land and seas, while London will launch a £ 500m (more than € 582m) fund for the preservation of oceans and marine ecosystems in countries such as Ghana and Indonesia.

Crucial decade

“Protecting our planet is the most important thing we can do for our people as leaders. There is a direct relationship between reducing emissions, restoring nature, creating jobs and ensuring long-term economic growth, “said Boris Johnson.

The leaders will also reiterate their commitment to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and to end public aid to coal power plants this year.

The goal is to limit the increase in temperatures below 1.5 ° C compared to the pre-industrial era, a threshold beyond which scientists believe that climate change will get out of hand.

“The decisions we make during this decade (…) are among the most important in human history,” warned British star naturalist David Attenborough, 95.

For environmental activists, these announcements are too soft: they want more action and fewer words, as they loudly and comically recalled during protests in Cornwall.

The G7 will also look at the climate component of the vast global infrastructure plan presented on Saturday for disadvantaged countries in Africa, Asia or Latin America, to encourage green growth by promoting investments in renewable energies and clean technologies, according to Downing Street.

Launched at the initiative of Joe Biden, for whom China is a priority, this project must compete with the “New Silk Roads”, these large-scale investments set up by Beijing to increase its influence abroad.

Called “Rebuilding the world for the better”, it should help these countries recover from the pandemic, by focusing on climate, health, digital technology and the fight against inequalities.

On the pandemic front, after the promise to share a billion doses of anti-Covid vaccines to poor countries, lagging behind in their immunization campaigns, the G7 adopted a battle plan to prevent future pandemics.

After the final communiqué and the traditional press conferences, Joe Biden will have tea with Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle. He will then meet his main allies at a NATO summit in Brussels, before a highly scrutinized meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday in Geneva.

With AFP