27 January 2009: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has reported that a summit of the leaders of 20 major economies (G-20) on the financial crisis will convene on 2 April 2009, in London, UK, and will include discussions on the creation of a low-carbon economy.

Speaking about the summit, Simon Fraser, Director General for Europe and Globalization at UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office, stressed the need for the actions that deal with the financial crisis to provide for a future “low-carbon, more effective, cleaner global economy.” He added that the summit’s discussions on a low-carbon economy could be an important input into the climate talks in Copenhagen in December 2009.
The Global Green New Deal and Green Economy Initiative, launched by UNEP in October 2008, aims to address the economic crisis and tackle climate change by spurring investments in green technology, creating green jobs, and developing a low-carbon, low-impact and better-managed global economy. [UNEP Press Release]