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G8 Environment, Energy Ministers Meet in Berlin for Gleneagles Dialogue
At the invitation of the German G8 Presidency, energy and environment ministers from the 20 major energy-consuming countries met in Berlin on September 10 and 11 to discuss the climate-friendly transformation of energy systems. The third ministerial meeting in the framework of the Gleneagles Dialogue on Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development marked the launch of a number of high-level preparatory meetings for the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali in December. Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel and Economics Minister Michael Glos opened the conference together. Environment Minister Gabriel: "We have to begin comprehensive negotiations in Bali on protecting the global climate - all countries have to be on board. It is essential to steer a clear course on the way to a new climate agreement. This includes a joint, long-term goal, ambitious reduction commitments for all industrialised countries and appropriate contributions from newly industrialising countries in particular. Scaling-up the international carbon market will play a crucial role in mobilising the funds and technologies that we need to combat climate change. Reliable framework conditions are also essential. With this Berlin meeting we have made an important contribution to achieving success with the negotiations in Bali."
The focus of the Berlin Gleneagles Dialogue was on strategies for improved technology cooperation between industrialized and developing countries. On the long road to converge global per capita emissions it is now essential to decouple economic growth from the emission of greenhouse gases. Any hesitation will cost money and limit our options to act. "Clean energy technologies play a key role in reconciling climate protection with growth and economic development," said Dagmar Wöhrl, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Economics. "With the climate and energy package adopted in Meseberg, the German Government has demonstrated how an integrated concept can promote growth and protect the climate at the same time. The next step is to create international framework conditions for investments in energy efficiency, renewable energies and CCS technologies. In addition to a follow-up agreement to the Kyoto Protocol, which must involve all the major emitters, these also include open energy markets and international technology cooperation." On the initiative of Federal Environment Minister Gabriel, international experts will meet before the Climate Change Conference in Bali to discuss insurance schemes against adverse impacts of climate change in developing countries. Gabriel: "International climate protection is a question of global justice. We must give greater support to developing countries which are particularly affected by climate change. They play little part in global warming, but suffer from the consequences of our excessive CO2 emissions here in the North. Besides additional funding, we need new instruments such as microinsurances against climate-related damage in Africa." Taking part in the conference in Berlin were the environment and energy ministers and senior officials from the G8 countries Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom and United States of America, as well as from Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland, South Africa, South Korea and Spain. The European Commission and Portugal as holder of the EU presidency were also represented. Multilateral development banks, the International Energy Agency, the UN Climate Change Secretariat, companies, environmental associations and legislators were also invited. September 13, 2007 Source: Federal Environment Ministry .04.2007 5:30 PM
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