G8 leaders set climate target
Updated on 08 July 2009
The world leaders at the G8 summit in L'Aquila, Italy say they are committed to reaching a comprehensive and ambitious climate deal by the end of the year.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown is attending the meeting along the leaders of America, Canada, Russia, Germany, Italy, France and Japan, plus European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and the prime minister of Sweden, which currently holds the EU presidency.
In a joint statement, the leaders wrote: "We intend to secure our present and future prosperity by taking the lead in the fight against climate change."
The leaders from the Group of Eight major industrial nations are expected to warn against complacency over economic recovery, and are also set to discuss food security and Iran.
The Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is hosting the summit, as he fends off accusations from his estranged wife about alleged affairs.
Chinese President Hu Jintao pulled out of the meeting at the last minute because of unrest in northwestern China in which 156 people have been killed. Although a Chinese delegation was still set to attend the talks, his departure may complicate efforts to make progress towards a deal that would limit global warming.
Italy will propose streamlined legal systems to better protect the financial system. And when five more nations join the discussions on Thursday, China, Russia and Brazil will push their view that the world needs a global reserve currency as an alternative to the dollar.
The summit takes place in the Italian city of L'Aquila which was wrecked by an earthquake earlier this year. Security has been stepped up in an effort to avoid a repeat of the riots and protests at a G8 meeting in Genoa eight years ago.
Police have already arrested five French citizens found with clubs and sticks in a vehicle, and small groups of student protesters have clashed with police in nearby Rome.
The draft communique written ahead of the meeting suggested the G8 and G5 would agree to conclude the stalled Doha round of trade talks in 2010.
The Doha talks were launched in 2001 to help poor countries prosper through trade, but they have stumbled on proposals to cut tariffs and subsidies.
