Sapporo, Japan - Energy and environment ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) wealthy nations have pledged to hasten the shift towards renewable energy and zero carbon emissions as they wrapped up two days of talks in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo. The officials issued a 36-page communique setting out their commitments ahead of a G7 summit in Hiroshima in May. They did not set a timetable for phasing out coal-fired power plants but agreed to prioritize steps toward phasing out "unabated" coal power generation.
The ministers reaffirmed the need to urgently reduce carbon emissions and achieve a predominantly decarbonized power sector by 2035. They also emphasized the importance of ensuring supplies of critical minerals, used in many high-tech products, are stable and conform to high social and environmental standards. The call to action comes as China and other developing countries demand more help in phasing out fossil fuels and stabilizing energy prices and supplies amid disruptions from Russia’s war on Ukraine.
The G7 nations account for 40% of the world's economic activity and a quarter of global carbon emissions. Their actions are critical, but so is their support for less wealthy countries seeking to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. However, Japan, which relies on coal for almost one-third of its power generation, won endorsements from fellow G7 countries for its own national strategy emphasizing "clean coal," hydrogen, and nuclear energy to help ensure its energy security. The stipulation that countries rely on "predominantly" clean energy by 2035 leaves room for the continuation of fossil-fuel-fired power.
The G7 ministers' commitments also included a call for countries to end new unabated coal-fired power generation projects globally as soon as possible to accelerate the clean energy transition in a just manner. Speaking after the talks ended, Japan's environment minister, Akihiro Nishimura, said, "I believe that we were able to demonstrate to the international community that our commitment to climate change and environmental issues is unwavering, even in the context of the situation in Ukraine." US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry described the meetings as "really constructive."
“I think the unity for the goal that was expressed of phasing out unabated fossil fuels is a very important statement,” Kerry said in an interview with The Associated Press.
Source: apnews.com