Global Courant 2023-05-20 20:16:00
HIROSHIMA, Japan — The group of seven (G-7) wealthy nations reinstated their support for gas investments in their communiqué on Saturday, calling it a “temporary” step in their effort to disengage from Russian energy, in a move that climate activists say. harm climate targets.
At the G-7 climate ministers’ meeting in April, despite the tussle between Japan and European countries, gas investments “may be appropriate to address potential market shortfalls” following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the disruption that this has caused in global energy markets.
The G-7 leaders’ statement on Saturday at their summit in Hiroshima, Japan, changed the language – eventually formulated by Germany, sources say – for resuming gas investment, with the G-7 saying it was “necessary to phasing out our dependence on Russian energy”.
“We emphasize the important role that increased supplies of LNG (liquefied natural gas) can play, and recognize that investments in the sector may be appropriate in response to the current crisis and to address potential gas market shortages resulting from the crisis” , the statement said. said.
The phase-out would also depend on “energy savings and gas demand reduction,” in line with the Paris climate goals and the acceleration of renewable energy development, the document said, calling clean energy a means of energy security.
“Facing the urgent need to phase out fossil fuels, what leaders have brought to the table represents an endorsement of new fossil gas,” Ms Tracy Carty, an expert on global climate politics at Greenpeace International, said in a statement.
defend the point of view
German government officials rejected that criticism, saying investments are needed to get away from Russian gas and find a replacement.
“We also need new gas-fired power plants, but they must be built in such a way that they can also run on green hydrogen in the future. So it is also an investment in a clean future,” said a German government official.
Japan sees LNG as a transitional fuel to a greener economy and Germany, once Moscow’s largest gas consumer, has had to increase its investments in gas infrastructure after the Russian invasion of Ukraine led to cuts in supplies.
“In the exceptional circumstance that our dependence on Russian energy is accelerating, government-backed investments in the gas sector may be appropriate as a temporary response,” Saturday’s statement said.
Without clarifying what “temporary” meant, the document said such investments should be consistent with climate goals and integrated into the development of low-carbon and renewable hydrogen.
The G-7 pledged to reach a net zero emissions target by 2050 and to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
“We are sticking to our targets for 2030 and 2045. So if we burn more coal or gas now, we will have to produce less CO2 in the coming years,” said the German government official.
Mr Max Lawson, head of inequality policy at activist group Oxfam, said the G-7 has maintained a loophole for new investments in fossil gas, using Russia’s military conflict with Ukraine “as an excuse”.
“They try to blame everyone. They themselves are far from on track to contribute a fair share of what is needed to achieve this goal,” he said in a statement. REUTERS
