ITALY: G8 countries must lead world in tackling climate change, says United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon

Record ID: 561021

  • Title: ITALY: G8 countries must lead world in tackling climate change, says United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
  • Date: 10th July 2009
  • Summary: L'AQUILA, ITALY (JULY 9, 2009) (REUTERS) G8 SUMMIT VENUE SECURITY HELICOPTER FLYING OVERHEAD SECURITY PERSONNEL ON-SITE G8 MEDIA CENTRE U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-MOON ARRIVING (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-MOON, SAYING: "They agreed to a two degree limit in terms of temperature rise. They have to agree long term target at least by 50 percent cut by 2050, but more importantly, the leaders of industrialised countries should agree on mid-term targets including financial clarity." BAN SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-MOON, SAYING: "I sincerely hope and I urge, and I'm going to urge repeatedly, that leaders of G8, they have historical and political responsibility to lead this campaign and they should be able to provide sufficient financial support, technological support so that developing countries can adapt themselves, can mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions. They do not have the capacity, they do not have any resources available. This is what they are expecting. I am going to urge on this issue." BAN'S HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-MOON, SAYING: "Post-election controversies and violence was very much deeply regrettable. I sincerely hope that the Iranian authorities will address this issue properly so that we should not see any violence taking place. The free will of the people should be always respected. That is the basic principle of democracy." G8 SIGN/INTERNATIONAL ENERGY ASSOCIATION'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NOBUO TANAKA SPEAKING TO REUTERS JOURNALIST BADGE ON TANAKA'S JACKET READING: "From Maddalena to L'Aquila - G8 Summit 2009" (SOUNDBITE) (English) IEA'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NOBUO TANAKA, SAYING: "We had experienced last year very high prices so it is that the market's reaction is very much unpredictable and volatility is exactly the reason. The price may rise due to other elements like weakening currency like dollars, or weather, so we have to watch carefully all of these elements but certainly the best way is to keep good buffer in the market, that is the spare capacity in the producer country and inventory or strategic stock-piles in the other sense in the consuming country." REPORTER TAKING NOTES JOURNALIST SPEAKING TO TANAKA
  • Embargoed: 25th July 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Environment / Natural World
  • Reuters ID: LVAF4NICO8987W9VYZH18JH1MUZJ
  • Story Text: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday (July 9) that the Group of Eight rich nations had not gone far enough in setting targets for combating climate change during talks in Italy.
    In an interview, Ban said the developed world countries had to aim much higher.
    "They agreed to a two degree limit in terms of temperature rise. They have to agree long term target at least by 50 percent cut by 2050, but more importantly, the leaders of industrialised countries should agree on mid-term targets including financial clarity," he said.
    The U.N Secretary-General said he was going to urge G8 leaders to lead the way in the fight against climate change.
    "They have historical and political responsibility to lead this campaign and they should be able to provide sufficient financial support, technological support so that developing countries can adapt themselves, can mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions. They do not have the capacity, they do not have any resources available. This is what they are expecting. I am going to urge on this issue."
    On the subject of Iran, Ban called on the Islamic Republic to look at its human rights record, following the violence that erupted throughout the country in the wake of the June 12 presidential elections.
    "Post-election controversies and violence was very much deeply regrettable. I sincerely hope that the Iranian authorities will address this issue properly so that we should not see any violence taking place. The free will of the people should be always respected. That is the basic principle of democracy," Ban said.
    Rising oil prices have been one of the topics under discussion at the G8 summit and the International Energy Association's (IEA) Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka told Reuters that the markets needed to be continually monitored.
    "We had experienced last year very high prices so it is that the market's reaction is very much unpredictable and volatility is exactly the reason. The price may rise due to other elements like weakening currency like dollars, or weather, so we have to watch carefully all of these elements but certainly the best way is to keep good buffer in the market. That is the spare capacity in the producer country and inventory or strategic stock-piles in the other sense in the consuming country," he said.
    IEA calculations have shown global investment in upstream oil and gas has already been cut by 21 percent this year compared to 2008 - a reduction of about 100 billion USD.
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