G-8 Declaration: Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development
On July 8, 2005, the leaders of the G-8 Nations (Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Russia, United Kingdom and the United State) issued ‘The Gleneagles Communiqué: Climate Change, Energy and Sustainable Development.’
Consistent with the objectives of the Rainforest Coalition, in part, the Gleneagles Communiqué undertakes to:
- Sustainable Development: Act with resolve and urgency related to greenhouse gas emissions, improving the global environment, cutting air pollution and vigorously working to reduce poverty.
- MDG’s: Further discussions on how development strategies can be strengthened to build resistance to climate impacts, including the Millennium Review Summit in September 2005
- Climate Stability: Affirm commitment to the UNFCCC's role stabilizing GHG’s and preventing dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Further acknowledges that the UNFCCC is the appropriate forum for negotiating future action on climate change
- Carbon Sinks: Particularly recognize the importance of global carbon sinks, including the Congo Basin and the Amazon
- Capacity Building: Work with developing countries on building capacity to improve resilience and integrate adaptation goals into sustainable development strategies. Specifically, work through the UNFCCC in supporting developing countries to improve capacity for adaptation and mitigation, including through the adaptation priority of the Global Environment Facility (GEF)
- Illegal Logging: Recognize the impact that illegal logging has on the livelihoods of many of the poorest countries related to environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and deforestation, and hence, global sustainable development
In the spirit of cooperation, the Rainforest Coalition challenges the G-8 to follow through on 'Plan(s) of Action’ in ways which underpin meaningful sustainable development. Lasting value will only be manifest through effective implementation, rather than feel-good policy rhetoric.