G20 special: Merkel - G20 communiqu茅 clearly shows dissent on climate
G20/ 威力彩玩法
The final communiqu茅 of the G20 group of leading industrialised and emerging countries clearly reflects the dissent between the United States and the other 19 members on climate protection, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a press conference after the 2-day summit in Hamburg. While the statement noted the 鈥渞egrettable鈥� US decision to leave the Paris climate agreement, she was 鈥済lad鈥� that the other 19 members agreed that the agreement was 鈥渋rreversible鈥� and signed up to a joint climate and energy action plan, Merkel said. The final statement still includes a mention of fossil fuels, which the United States had pushed for. Merkel stressed that no other participant shared the US position on the issue, and the final version made the different views very clear. Merkel told the press conference that she did not share the optimism some had voiced that the US might revisit its decision to leave the Paris Agreement.
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Reuters/ 威力彩玩法
The United States鈥� insistence to include a reference to fossil fuels in the section on climate policy in the G20 communiqu茅 remains the final sticking point to finish the document, news agency Reuters reported. Sources close to the process confirmed to the Clean Energy that the line in dispute read that the US would 鈥渆ndeavor to work closely with other partners to help their access to and use of fossil fuels more cleanly and efficiently", and some Europeans still worked to get the mention of fossil fuels dropped.
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ARD
German finance minister Wolfgang Sch盲uble cited the fact that the large majority of G20 countries showed clear commitment to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement in the Hamburg summit talks as proof that the summit was a success. In an interview with German broadcaster ARD, Sch盲uble said: 鈥淚 believe that this summit is a success. The atmosphere is very good, and in the talks, problems were not ignored. Regarding climate protection, for example, it was clear that the large majority 鈥� independent of the announcement of one country 鈥� will determinedly continue down the path of Paris Agreement implementation.鈥� Sch盲uble said the 鈥渦nilateral decision by the US president will not in the least stop the global process; that everyone says 鈥榃e鈥檒l continue just like before, we must stand by Paris.鈥欌�� He was 鈥渆ncouraged鈥� by the fact that 鈥渢he determination of the large majority in the world to now do more against climate change, rather grew.鈥�
Watch the video of the interview in German .
Press and Information Office of the German Government
Climate and Energy have been the most debated G20 topics on the first day of this year鈥檚 summit in Hamburg according to data provided by the Press and Information Office of the German Government. The office counted 16,881 posts linked to the G20 that concerned 鈥渃limate and energy鈥�, followed by 鈥渋nternational trade鈥� with 9,419 posts on 7 July. Other official topics debated were terrorism, the Africa partnership and financial markets. The government鈥檚 press office looked at posts made on Twitter, news websites, Instagram, facebook, YouTube and others, wither Twitter by far outweighing other platforms in terms of G20-related posting.
Reuters
The G20 group of leading industrialised and emerging countries have agreed on a joint communique at the summit in Hamburg, though leaders had still to iron out one last 鈥渨rinkle鈥� in the climate section, news agency Reuters reported, citing an EU official. News website Spiegel Online wrote, the communique would contain three paragraphs on climate and energy: all G20 would underscore the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, take then note of the United States wanted to leave the Paris Agreement on climate, before stating that the other 19 were committed to implement the deal.
Find the Reuters story and the Spiegel Online news blog .
7 July - 威力彩玩法
The wording on climate policies in the final G20 communiqu茅 was still not decided, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters at a press conference after leaders met to discuss the issue. The 鈥渓arge majority鈥� of G20 members expressed their commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement during the working session at the Hamburg summit, she said. 鈥淥n this issue as well, it will be interesting how we formulate the communiqu茅 tomorrow, and make clear that there are obviously differences in this area, because the Unites States of America want to leave the Paris Agreement, regrettably. And that 鈥� of course 鈥� plays a role in the discussions,鈥� she said. Before leaving the room for a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Trump had taken part in the beginning of the climate working session, and had made a contribution, Merkel said. 鈥淲hat the communiqu茅 will look like and how the different opinions will be sorted out, you鈥檒l have to wait until tomorrow,鈥� she told reporters.
7 July - Reuters / Russian Government
The BRICS group of powerful emerging economies add pressure on US President Donald Trump by urging an implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement at the G20 summit in Germany, news agency Reuters reports. In a joint communiqu茅 issued by the Russian government, Brazil, Russia, China and India call on other G20 members to back the agreement rejected by the US administration and also to endorse open global trade, the article says. "We call upon the听international community to听jointly work towards implementation of听the听Paris Agreement on听Climate Change according to听the听principles of听the听United Nations Framework Convention on听Climate Change (UNFCCC), including the听principles of听equity and听common but differentiated responsibilities and听respective capabilities," the document reads.
In a separate article, Reuters reports that Chinese president Xi Jinping said the agreement was 鈥渁n important consensus that doesn't come easily and must not be given up easily.鈥�
See the articles in English and .
Find the communiqu茅 issued by Russia in English .
7 July - 威力彩玩法
The T20 group of international think tanks are hoping for 鈥淕17, G18, G19鈥� solution on the disputed issue of climate protection, where 鈥渨e know that some of us are moving in the wrong direction鈥�, but the rest grew closer together in their push forward, Dirk Messner, Director of the German Development Institute (DIE), said in a press briefing at the sidelines of the summit. In an increasingly interconnected and globalised world, multilateral cooperation such as within the G20 forum was the only way to solve many issues the world faces, Messner as well as Dennis Snower, president of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, said. Climate change was one of the issues and it 鈥渃ould be resolved very easily if we understood this is a public good and the returns simply needed to be distributed properly鈥�.
7 July - 威力彩玩法
The G20 leaders must show readiness for compromise at the Hamburg summit, 鈥渨ithout bending their own positions too much鈥�, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel during her opening remarks to leaders of the world鈥檚 largest economies, ahead of the first working session on global growth and trade. Millions of people were following the talks from all over the world in the hopes that the G20 would do their part to deal with their concerns, fears and needs, she said. The Sherpas had worked hard to find solutions in the run up to the summit and were facing another sleepless night ahead, said Merkel.
7 July - ZDF
For Germans, climate change topped the list of the most pressing global issues for G20 to fix, a poll by public broadcaster ZDF showed. Thirty-three percent put solutions to climate change at the top of the list, 29 percent said the migrant crisis was the most urgent issue, followed by terrorism (27 percent) and free trade (7 percent). But 78 percent of those polled expected no impetus from the G20 on those issues, only 10 percent expected progress, while 10 percent feared the G20 would be falling back.
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7 July - 威力彩玩法
The topic of climate change should be 鈥渢reated with utmost intensity and seriousness鈥� at the Hamburg Summit, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said at a press conference before official talks began. Juncker said he was 鈥渢hankful鈥� that German Chancellor Angela Merkel presided over the summit. 鈥淟ooking at the situation, she will have to pull her full weight, but Ms Merkel knows that she cannot and does not have to do it alone,鈥� said Juncker.
7 July - Spiegel/ZDF/German government
US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are set to miss the G20 leaders鈥� discussion on climate and energy as they have scheduled their first personal meeting during the working session, German news听听reports. German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the G20 leaders for the summit in Hamburg, where protests turned violent overnight and protesters clashed with police. Merkel told the press听on Thursday听night that there were various options on the table with regards to a commitment to the Paris Agreement for the final statement, adding that the Sherpas - the G20 leaders top-negotiators 鈥� still had 鈥渟ome work to do over the coming two nights鈥�.听听reported that the G20 were working on a compromise that would allow the United States to agree on the final communiqu茅 while taking note of the US president鈥檚 decision to leave the international climate deal. But close observers of the negotiations have told the 威力彩玩法 that discussions were still ongoing. German foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel told TV station ZDF听on Thursday听after a meeting with Trump and Merkel that the climate issue remained 鈥渃learly disputed鈥�.
Find background on the G20 climate and energy transition issues in the 威力彩玩法 dossier.
