The industrialised nations of the Group of Seven (G7) have agreed to speed up the phase-out of fossil fuels in order to achieve zero net emissions in their energy systems by 2050 at the latest. These nations include Germany, Italy, Canada, and the EU. By 2035, they have already committed to mostly ceasing the use of fossil fuels in their electricity sectors.
Agnes Pannier-Runacher, France’s minister for the energy transition, termed the “phase-out” phrase a “strong step forward” in front of the G20 and COP28 summits this year even if the G7 did not set any more timelines beyond the vow from the previous year. Yasutoshi Nishimura, Japan’s energy minister, hailed the group for “recognising diverse paths towards carbon neutrality” and called the communiqué “ambitious.”
The G7’s efforts to agree to halving car emissions by 2035, however, failed. Instead, the coalition made its first commitment to halt the production of new plastic pollution by 2040.
A key UN climate study issued last month warned that without “rapid and far-reaching” improvements, 1.5C temperature increases will be observed in around a decade. This put pressure on the G7 to make significant announcements. The G7’s commitment is considered as an effort to address the pressing need for climate change action.
Environmentalists have applauded the G7’s reaffirmed pledge to phase out fossil fuels without interruption but have asked for more decisive action. The executive director of Greenpeace UK, John Sauven, encouraged the G7 countries to “immediately end fossil fuel subsidies and stop financing overseas fossil fuel projects” because “the world needs deeds not words.”