UN 
NEW YORK – Bünyamin Sürmeli – G7 leaders will commit to a faster transition away from fossil fuels this decade, according to a draft communique to be released at the end of the ongoing G7 summit in Italy.
“We will transition away from fossil fuels in our energy systems in a fair, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating our actions in this critical decade to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, in line with the best available science,” said the draft statement, which was seen and reviewed by Reuters.
Other climate policy commitments in the draft include a target to “phase out existing coal-fired power generation in our energy systems in the first half of the 2030s”.
The document said the leaders of the United States, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy would present “more ambitious” national climate plans at the United Nations COP29 climate conference starting in November.
While committing to a concerted effort to cut methane emissions by 75% by 2030, in a section that could draw the ire of environmental activists, the leaders give the green light to public investment in natural gas, a polluting fossil fuel.
“In the exceptional case of phasing out our dependence on Russian energy, publicly financed investments in the gas sector may be appropriate as a temporary response, subject to clearly defined national conditions,” the draft reads.
Photo: AA
