G8 Gleneagles climate change agreement: neoliberalism blocks sustainable development

The G8 leaders have signed a climate change agreement without measurable targets and timetables for reducing heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions. Their agreement also includes a plan of action for putting the poorer countries in line with the issue.

As usual, while the increasing cooperation has many positive aspects, the background ideology of the statement is counter-productive. The G8 governments are not willing to cut their emissions, if poorer countries are not going to do the same. As if trade relations with the poorer countries ever were fair! The truth is that once again the political leaders of the G8 represent the economic interests of the big corporations. Their Plan will "finance the transition to cleaner energy through a strengthened World Bank and national policies that support markets, remove barriers to direct investment, leverage private capital, and promote investment." Thus again they are imposing the neoliberal model, which means that the poor are to be ignored. And the climate change hits first the poor, who are without means of protection from its effects.

The G8 statement says, “We know that, globally, emissions must slow, peak and then decline, moving us towards a low-carbon economy.” But developing countries already facing the impacts of climate change are offered no direct financial assistance or support to deal with those impacts, even though these are largely resulting from the development of the industrial countries. What is more, broad consensus of the worldwide scientific community says that in the view of the interests of the majority of the human beings and even in view of the survival of the species, the optimal peak has already been left behind and there is no time to increase emissions further.

It would have been the moment to sign a real agreement which also includes concrete goals and not only a statement of intentions. This was blocked by the leaders of the United States. It is unfortunate that now an agreement is written which offers very little new, positive developments.

Our common environment is not something that the rich and the powerful should be able to make deals about. There are no borders in the atmosphere telling this is yours and this is mine. But the politics of our countries are ruled by opportunism, political will is pervertly lacking. This can be changed only if people move from a passive attitude to a constructive way of thinking and acting based on respect for the Earth and solidarity for their fellow human beings.

The Humanist Regional once again invites all those believing in the principles of humanism, to join in building this option that opens the future from the dead ends of the existing decadent system.

Secretary on Ecology and Environment
European Region of the Humanist International