German Chancellor calls on G7 leaders to tackle climate change

(Baonghean) - On Monday, June 8, the final day of the summit in the Bavarian Alps, German Chancellor Angela Merkel - known as the "climate chancellor", called on G7 leaders to commit to cutting greenhouse gas emissions before the United Nations' year-end climate meeting in Paris.

Climate change was high on the agenda for Monday's sessions, where leaders also discussed fighting disease and other health issues, the fight against terrorism from Boko Haram to the Islamic State, and African development.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Barack Obama speak in Kruen, southern Germany on June 7. 30K View Scan and download Translated news 9-6.docx 13K View as HTML Scan and download

US President Barack Obama kept his rhetoric on climate on Sunday, the first day of the summit, as leaders offered a united front in confronting Russia over the Ukraine conflict and discussed the global economy.

Diplomats and environmental campaigners said Japan and Canada were in the spotlight ahead of the summit for dragging their feet on implementing a climate change deal.

French President Francois Hollande, who will host a UN climate summit later this year, is also seeking an ambitious commitment from the G7 to end dependence on fossil fuels by mid-century. He is also seeking a financial commitment to help poor countries transform their energy sectors so they can reduce carbon emissions.

Environmental lobbyists hope that Ms Merkel will push for a commitment to phase out fossil fuels by 2050 ahead of the Paris meeting, which is aimed at agreeing a successor to the Kyoto Protocol.

Phuong Thao

(According to Reuters June 8)