G7 Climate "Agreement" Kicks Climate Football 85 Years Down The Field [View all]

During the hour that it took the world's elite G7 politicians discussing climate change to wander through an enchanting meadow of flowers in Germany's Bavarian Alps earlier this week, at least 800 people died prematurely from the impact of air pollution, most of it caused by the burning of non-renewable fossil fuels. Wanting to show the world -- particularly voters at home -- that they care about the seven-million people a year dying from various pollution and carbon related causes, the leaders of the world's richest countries, including Canada, signed a joint declaration calling for a global phasing-out of fossil fuels 85 years from now.

It's unlikely that, during their deliberations in the picturesque Schloss Elmau at the foot of Germany's highest mountain, anyone at the summit reflected on the World Health Organization's (WHO) report of a year ago that said in 2012 around seven million people died -- one in eight of total global deaths -- as a result of air pollution exposure.

Unfortunately, despite positive coverage in mainstream media in several countries, the section of the summit dealing with climate change must be considered an over-blown failure. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was disappointed that G7 members -- largely because of opposition from Canada and Japan -- wouldn't agree to a commitment to a low-carbon economy by 2050. Instead, the G7 agreed to what it called a full-blown, no-carbon economy, but not until 2100.

According to their declaration, the G7 countries say they intend to insist on greenhouse gas reductions of at least in the upper 40 to 70 per cent range by 2050. There's also a promise to cut emission by 17 per cent by 2020. But, despite the tough talk, no nation-specific targets were set, and the G7 declaration is not binding.

EDIT

http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2015/06/11/G7-Kicks-Climate-Football/