G8

G8 leaders pledge food and oil action at end of summit

Article published on the 2008-07-09 Latest update 2008-07-10 10:27 TU

Police walk next to demonstrating anti-G8 summit protesters
(Credit: Reuters)

G8 leaders pledged to bring down food and oil prices in their final statement on Wednesday. But developing countries slammed the pledges by the world's most developed countries summit in Japan on greenhouse gases as too weak. The leaders also called for an end to export restrictions on food.

"There's a need to improve transparency on the oil market," Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said in a news conference at the end of the summit.

The discussion was dominated by rising oil prices, which have jumped five-fold since 2003, and the high cost of food worldwide.

Developing countries criticised Tuesday's statement on reducing greenhouse gases as being too weak, after they were included in Wednesday's final session.

The Group of Five, which consists of Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa, have demanded greater sacrifice by the rich nations, who, they say, are historically responsible for climate change.

The G8, which groups the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia, announced Tuesday that there should be a global emissions cut by 2050, in an effort to reduce global warming that is threatening plants and animals.

The US has long resisted signing the Kyoto Protocol, a pledge to reduce greenhouse gases. Bush has argued that it is unfair to impose caps on emissions in the US, while fast-growing economies are not exposed to the same caps.

"Until there's a change in the decision of the United States, South Africa finds it very difficult for the G5 to move forward," South African Environment Minister Marthinus Van Schalkwyk said after the meeting. 

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Tuesday's statement means that the G8 has made a commitment while the emerging economies are not doing the same.

"The United States is making a commitment, firmly and absolutely, with the condition imposed by their Congress that China and India also take action in a differentiated way," Sarkozy said.

RFI correspondent Pamela Valente, at the G8 meeting, said that Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addressed the press, saying that immigration was also brought up during the last day of the summit.

"Underdeveloped countries, mainly in Latin America, are very very angry with the decisions taken by European parliament. Countries in Europe, such as France, are trying to reduce in an agressive way, foreign illegal immigration," she said.