The G8 industrialised nations had already reached agreement on the two-degree target on the first day of the summit in L'Aquila, Italy. That agreement continued as a leitmotiv throughout the rest of the summit.
There was "still a great deal of work ahead of us before we can sign a post-Kyoto Protocol agreement" at the world climate summit in December, Angela Merkel said. But she was also confident that further steps would follow this interim result on the road to Copenhagen.
By December the G8 nations still have to agree medium-term climate protection targets. They have to decide, for example, by how much they intend to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. Angela Merkel is confident those medium-term climate protection targets will be put forward before the conference in Copenhagen.
These medium-term targets are especially important for newly industrialising and developing countries, because they will not be deciding whether to reduce their emissions by 50 per cent until the industrialised nations have adopted their own targets.
80 per cent fewer emissions by the middle of the century
The G8 industrialised nations, by contrast, are facing the huge task of reducing their emissions to at least 80 per cent by 2050. This ambitious target is enormously important when it comes to achieving the two-degree target. But even if the industrialised countries were able to reduce their emissions by 100 per cent, the two-degree target can still not be achieved given current emissions levels. Newly industrialising countries will have to play their part too. Angela Merkel emphasised that these countries have for the first time declared their willingness to change their industrial production from the point of view of climate protection.
The following are classed as newly industrialising countries: China, Mexico, India, South Africa and Brazil. They are also referred to as the G5.
For Angela Merkel the great success of this meeting is that these countries, as well as Indonesia, South Korea and Australia, have agreed to the two-degree target. The world's 14 largest economies have thus agreed a common long-term climate protection target. That is a first.
Responsibility for the crisis lies with the industrialised nations
The current crisis originated in the developed nations. "And that is why it is primarily the task of these countries to initiate the measures needed to prevent such a crisis happening again in the future," said Merkel.
Now it was important to draw up a financial market constitution for international financial markets. "L'Aquila was a step towards the next G20 meeting in Pittsburgh." In Pittsburgh the G20 will render account on what they have done since they last met in London in February.
Many of the world's poor countries are feeling the effects of the crisis much more keenly. 100 million more people in Sub-Saharan Africa will find themselves living in poverty. "Our responsibility is all the greater now," said Angela Merkel. Germany would fulfil that responsibility. "We will not reduce our development aid."
A return to sustainable economic activity
The G8 nations also made it clear in L'Aquila that they now have to develop what are known as exit strategies, strategies for withdrawing safely from economic stimulus programmes that countries put in place to deal with the crisis.
After the crisis all countries would have to return to sustainable economic activity, Angela Merkel said. All the heads of state and government were clear about that. Nevertheless, they were all also aware that the economic and financial crisis was not yet by any means over.
The German Chancellor's idea of a UN Charter on Sustainable Economic Activity met with broad approval. Work is to continue on that in Pittsburgh.
Iran must return to talks
As regards foreign policy, the G8 made it clear that they want the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to be adhered to. Corresponding initiatives will be launched next year. The United States, for example, has announced that it will be hosting a conference on non-proliferation next year.
The G8 criticised Iran in regard to the observance of civil rights and liberties, for example the right to demonstrate. "We repeated our call for Iran to stop its nuclear programme and to take up negotiations with the international community," Angela Merkel said. The same applied to North Korea.
Global policy for the future with newly industrialising countries
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that it had also become clear at the summit that the process that began in Heiligendamm was the right way to go about things. In Heiligendamm the heads of state and government had agreed to work more closely with the newly industrialising countries. That is why, in L'Aquila, many declarations were also adopted by the G8 + G5, that is together with Mexico, China, South Africa, Brazil and India. "For the first time we have been able to adopt a joint final declaration."
Photo: REGIERUNGonline/Kugler
The world is moving up closerIt became clear that the G8 format is no longer sufficient to solve the global problems facing our world. Angela Merkel is confident that decisions will be taken some time next year on a new format."The world has moved closer together"
Merkel's conclusion: "These were important days, very intense days that dealt with a whole range of global problems." Many of them would be picked up again at upcoming conferences. "But I believe one can say that the world has moved closer together, including in the way political actors work together."
The spirit of respect, of friendship and the absolute will to want to solve these problems together prevailed, she said. "Because we all know that no country in the world can solve its problems on its own today. We must all act in concert."
