Greens whining as G8 climate deal remains uncertain

Roger Bate

As the G8 negotiations enter their final phase there appears to be no deal on agricultural subsidies or climate change. Much is at stake; some climate scenarios being proposed by France potentially disastrous for global economies.

The media, with nothing new to report for ten minutes, is calling all sorts of troublemakers for their idiotic opinions. Tony Juniper, of Friends of the Earth, told the BBC: "The least tangible result of the meeting was the most important, that is a considerable increase in public awareness of the issues of global warming and climate change."

How African poverty is considered to be less of an issue than alleged dangerous climate change, shows which planet Mr Juniper inhabits. In any event, "the discussions on climate change have gone very well," said Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, referring to talks held in the absence of UK Prime Minister Tony Blair who had temporarily traveled to London for police briefings. And as he returned last night security has been stepped up in Gleneagles and across Scotland after Thursday's blasts. But the London bomb attacks will not damage the chances of leaders reaching agreements at the G8 summit, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said.

At a press briefing this morning, representatives of the G8 leaders insisted that much had been achieved on climate change. And the announcement, for its certain there will be one at about 10.15am EST, is expected to be a compromise that would allow both Europe and America to claim victory. Leaked documents from last night, show no agreement, only an impasse.

The US administration has made clear it will not sign up to a Kyoto-style deal, with stringent emission reduction targets, but will consider new and cleaner technologies. Although no major proposals for action are expected, nor any new money to develop clean technologies.

However French President Jacques Chirac said last night that ""we have noticed a shift in the American position…The agreement which we are set to reach is an important agreement, even if it doesn't go as far as we would have wanted."

The Americans have not seen a noticeable shift in French opposition to agricultural subsidy removal, and possible deals on trade seem far less likely than even yesterday evening.  So while the greens and Euro-politicians bleat about action on climate, the policies Africans most need seem to be ignored - again.

Roger Bate is a resident fellow of the American Enterprise Institute.