The G-8 states, however, acknowledge that climate change is a
challenge. They reiterated their commitments to the objective of
stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at the
level that prevents dangerous human interference with the climate
system. The Communiqué also highlights the importance of renewable
energy sources and energy efficiency; no substance has been added
to what had been agreed at last years Gleneagles Summit.
"The best thing about the St Petersburg summit is that it is
over. Once again the G-8 has failed to develop a strategy for real
and sustainable energy security. The G-8 needs to get serious on
these issues or it will drift into irrelevance."
"The German Government needs to start working towards next
year's summit with the aim of strong and effective climate
protection," said Tobias Muenchmeyer of Greenpeace, in St
Petersburg.
"The Russian G-8 presidency, together with the Bush, Blair and
Chirac, had hoped to use the Summit to make calls for the global
expansion of nuclear power. However, the G-8 is split on this
question and the Communiqué contains much weaker pro-nuclear
language than expected," said Muenchmeyer.
"Germany is committed to a nuclear phase out and Italy has
already phased it out. Yet still the Communiqué supports nuclear
power as an option for diversifying the energy mix. Be in no doubt,
Putin, Bush and the rest are committed to expanding nuclear
technology, which at the same time gives countries the nuclear
weapons option. The G8 must reject the dangerous and irrelevant
nuclear option and focus exclusively on nuclear non-proliferation
and nuclear phase-out," said Muenchmeyer.
The pathway towards real sustainable energy and climate security
lies with renewable sources of energy and energy efficiency. St
Petersburg is yet another wasted G-8 opportunity and another
dangerous step away from securing a sustainable energy future and
towards further global insecurity, increased nuclear proliferation
and environmental contamination.
On the eve of the summit the US and Russia agreed to begin
negotiations for a nuclear cooperation agreement. The agreement was
to clear the way for Russia to import and store thousands of tons
of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from US-supplied reactors around the
world. The US would have to agree to allowing Western European
countries, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea to dump their nuclear
waste on Russia.
"Bush and Putin know that a global expansion of nuclear power
requires the illusion of a solution to nuclear waste. Dumping waste
in Russia and turning into the world's nuclear dustbin is their
solution. Bush's dangerous plans under the Global Nuclear Energy
Partnership (GNEP) are at the centre of this deal (1). Not only
will the import of deadly nuclear waste to Russia be a serious
proliferation threat, it will significantly increasing the
radiation risk to the already blighted health of the Russian people
- today and for generations to come," stated Muenchmeyer.
Other contacts: Tobias Muenchmeyer - Greenpeace energy specialist: +49 151 145 33073Mhairi Dunlop - Greenpeace International Communications: +44 7801 212 960
Notes: (1) The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) is a US Department of Energy proposal to expand the use of proliferation prone fast breeder reactors and reprocessing, as well as the supply of enrichment and fuel services to the countries around the world. It is based on technology that over 50 years has received billions of dollars of investment but has failed to provide sustainable, economically viable energy.
Exp. contact date: 2006-07-27 00:00:00