HEILIGENDAMM, Germany, June 8 (UPI) -- The leaders of the world's eight most-industrialized nations agreed that promoting energy efficiency is key to stop global warming.
On Thursday, after tough negotiations, leaders at the Group of Eight summit in Heiligendamm, Germany, agreed on a text to jointly combat climate change. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, managed to convince U.S. President Bush of the need to "seriously consider" halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and holding post-Kyoto talks under the purview of the United Nations. She also pushed through including a strong plea for energy efficiency measures in the text.
"The global potential for saving energy is huge," the text adopted by G8 leaders read. "According to the International Energy Agency, successfully implemented energy efficiency policies could contribute to 80 percent of avoided greenhouse gases while substantially increasing security of supply."
G8 leaders pledged to "promote the appropriate policy approaches and instruments, including inter-alia economic incentives and sound fiscal policies, minimum standards for energy efficiency, sound and ambitious energy performance labelling, information campaigns aimed at consumers and industry that enhance national awareness, sector-based voluntary commitments agreed with industry, investment in research and development and guidelines for public procurement."
The text urges emerging economies like China, India and Brazil to join the G8 initiative and furthermore highlights the need to curb deforestation to reduce emissions, market incentives and renewable energy sources as key elements of a successful climate protection initiative.
