Bush's Major Economies Meeting is now over. And it was, surprise, surprise, a complete waste of time. You can find the statement here. And here is our reaction: “President Bush’s Major Economies Meeting has been a useless diversion from real action on climate change all along; the meaningless statement released today proves that for all to see. As low-lying island states are drowning, Bush’s MEM emits even more hot air. Because of the G8’s abject failure to commit to anything meaningful, there could be no move forward. On the issues that matter – such as 2020 emission reduction targets for industrialised countries – the statement is deathly silent.
Developing countries such as South Africa and China made it clear that they are ready to move forward, but industrialised countries must do their fair share. Climate change, after all, has mainly been caused by industrialised countries. Bush, Harper and Fukuda destroyed any hope for a warming planet in urgent need of help. The EU made matters worse by welcoming a clearly inadequate G8 statement, rightly rejected by developing countries. Doing so has undermined the spirit of cooperation we need to achieve a global climate rescue plan in Copenhagen in 2009.
The MEM shamefully excludes the countries that will be most affected by climate change, especially low-lying island developing states and least developed countries. This is immoral and unacceptable. Those already bearing the brunt of climate change today must always have a seat at the table when climate change is discussed. Excluding the most vulnerable is no way to contribute to a meaningful and truly global agreement in Copenhagen in 2009.
Bush’s MEM is a waste of time and must, like Bush, be consigned to history. Real progress is now even more urgent at the United Nations climate negotiations. We call on the EU and developing countries in particular, not to allow Bush to stop progress and build mistrust, but to move forward with meaningful action at the next climate meetings in Accra, Ghana in August.”