G7 countries agree to accelerate fossil fuels phase-out
Mon 17 April 2023
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Ministers representing leading western nations and Japan have agreed to accelerate the phase-out of fossil fuels and the transition towards renewable energy. The meeting took place in Japan's northern city of Sapporo following weeks of what were reported as "fraught negotiations".
The G7 Hiroshima summit’s final communiqué committed “to accelerate the phase-out of unabated fossil fuels so as to achieve net zero in energy systems by 2050".
The Financial Times reported that: “In earlier drafts, Japan had opposed adding the phrase [phase-out], but the UK, Germany and France negotiated successfully for its inclusion.”
The ministers’ Communiqué recommitted the parties to the Paris Agreement, “keeping a limit of 1.5 °C global temperature rise within reach through scaled up action in this critical decade,” and to “recognize the importance of promoting an efficient diversification of supply sources to enhance energy security and energy affordability.”
However, the communiqué lacks a clear deadline for the fossil fuels phase-out, though Canada and other members are reported to have pushed for the inclusion of a 2030 deadline.
G7 countries also pledged to collectively increase offshore wind capacity by 150 gigawatts and solar capacity to more than 1 terawatt by 2030.
On coal, the countries "agreed to prioritise ‘concrete and timely steps’ towards accelerating the phase-out of ‘domestic, unabated coal power generation’, as a part of a commitment last year to achieve at least a ‘predominantly’ decarbonised power sector by 2035.”
Some environmental groups, however, criticised the G7 statement, with the Fossil Fuel Non Proliferation Treaty Initiative saying the text was “rife with greenwash & inaction”.
The international Group of Seven (G7) is an intergovernmental political forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
In a related development, Reuters reports that Germany sees "a chance" that a deal to accelerate phasing out fossil fuels - similar to the one reached by the G7 - could be done at this year's UN climate summit in Dubai, a senior government official said.
The German official who spoke on condition of anonymity said: "In the Gulf region, they (UAE) are the country that is most going into the (green) transition. They are sitting on oil and gas, but they know they need to go into the future with renewables in order to still have a business case in 30 years".
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