8 July 2008: The Group
of Eight Industrialized Countries (G8) Hokkaido Toyako
Summit took place from 7-9 July 2008
in Japan. On 8 July, the G8 leaders agreed on a Document on Environment and
Climate Change. The leaders of the G8
agreed to share with parties to the UNFCCC the vision of a goal of achieving at
least 50% reduction of global emissions by 2050, recognizing that this global
challenge can only be met by the contributions from all major economies,
consistent with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and
respective capabilities.

The G8 stated that achieving the ultimate objective of
the UNFCCC will only be possible through common determination of all major
economies, over an appropriate time frame, to slow, stop and reverse global growth
of emissions and move towards a low-carbon society, and noted the need to accelerate
the deployment of existing technologies, and development and deployment of
low-carbon technologies. The G8 underscored the importance of mid-term goals
and national plans and acknowledged their leadership in implementing ambitious
mid-term goals, reflecting comparable efforts among all developed economies,
taking into account differences in their national circumstances. The G8 also
stated that they will help support the mitigation plans of major developing
economies with technology, financing and capacity-building, and note that all
major economies will need to commit to meaningful mitigation actions to be
bound in the international agreement to be negotiated by the end of 2009. The
G8 also emphasized the importance of discussions in the International Civil
Aviation Organization and International Maritime Organization for limiting or
reducing emissions in the international aviation and maritime sectors. [G8 Website] [Environment and
Climate Change] [G8
Document Index]