Kofi Annan supports Chancellor Merkel and G7 leaders’ statement on cutting fossil fuels and promoting renewable investments in Africa

GENEVA, Switzerland, June 9 – The Africa Progress Panel welcomes the commitment made by the G7 to make deep cuts in emissions and to phase out of fossil fuels by the end of the century.

In this year’s Africa Progress Report, “Power, People, Planet: Seizing Africa’s Energy and Climate Opportunities”, the Panel calls on the countries that emit the most to raise their level of ambition and implement their promises at the December climate summit in Paris. With its 2015 summit communique, the G7 has signalled its collective intention to do just that.

Governments in the major emitting countries must now place a stringent price on emissions of greenhouse gases by taxing them, instead of continuing effectively to subsidise them, for example by spending billions on subsidies for fossil-fuel exploration. The G7’s reaffirmation of its pledge to work for the elimination of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies is thus notable.

Africa is well positioned to play a leading role in the global low-carbon transition, and will be able to do so fast, if significant investments are made now. Much of this financing will need to come from rich nations. International climate financing is chronically underfunded and uncoordinated and must improve.

At the Financing Development Summit in Addis Ababa next month, G7 countries can set a clear timetable for the previously agreed US$100 billion in annual climate finance each year. At the G7 summit, leaders reaffirmed their strong commitment to mobilizing this financing. This should be used to generate clean power. Germany as the leader in clean energy globally, and current Chair of the G7, can spearhead this process. In that context, the Panel also warmly welcomes the G7 commitment to assist in the acceleration of access to renewal energy in Africa.

Kofi Annan, Chair of the Africa Progress Panel, said this after the release of the G7 communique:

“I applaud Chancellor Merkel’s leadership in steering the G7 to a firm agreement to decarbonise the global economy over the course of this century. The communique’s recommitment to phasing out fossil fuel subsidies is encouraging and an essential first step to ensuring that agreement is honoured. The G7 has also heard the call from Africa and Africans to massively scale up investment in renewable energy across our continent. The G7 pledge to mobilise resources to accelerate the creation of a low carbon energy system in the region could be “a game changer”; helping Africa grow and leapfrog to a sustainable low carbon future. This is good for Africa and the global fight against climate change.”

The latest G7 communique is a clear statement of ambition and leadership from the world’s richest countries, which the Africa Progress Panel fully supports. Future generations, however, will judge this generation of leaders not solely by the principles they set out in communiqués, but by their actions. The Panel looks forward to the timely honouring of these pledges.

Kofi Annan supports Chancellor Merkel and G7 leaders’ statement on cutting fossil fuels and promoting renewable investments in Africa

G7 conclusion: What Buhari, others agreed at the G7 summit in Germany

The leaders of the Group of Seven industrial nations met for a two-day summit in the Bavarian Alps with a heavy agenda including global terrorism, Ukraine and climate change. Following are the main points of what was agreed at the stunning Elmau Castle location, taken from the final statement:

– TERRORISM –

Buhari and other World Leaders in Germany G7 summit

Unusually, the G7 leaders invited several heads of government from countries fighting jihadists to attend the talks. “In light of the Foreign Terrorist Fighters phenomenon, the fight against terrorism and violent extremism will have to remain the priority for the whole international community,” the G7 communique said.

“In this context we welcome the continued efforts of the Global Coalition to counter ISIL/Daesh. We reaffirm our commitment to defeating this terrorist group and combatting the spread of its hateful ideology.” They pledged to “strengthen our coordinated action” against terrorism, including in the fight against “terrorist financing”.

– CLIMATE CHANGE –

The leaders at the G-7 summit said “urgent and concrete action” was needed to address climate change. They said “deep cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions are required with a decarbonisation of the global economy over the course of this century.”

“As a common vision for a global goal of greenhouse gas emissions reductions we support … the upper end of the latest IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) recommendation of 40 to 70 percent reductions by 2050 compared to 2010, recognising that this challenge can only be met by a global response.”

– GLOBAL ECONOMY –

“The global economic recovery has progressed since we last met,” leaders noted, with the decline of energy prices having “supportive effects in most of the G7 economies.” “However, many of our economies are still operating below their full potential and more work is needed to achieve our aim of strong, sustainable and balanced growth,” they stressed.

“Overall G7 unemployment is still too high, although it has decreased substantially in recent years,” the statement said.

– TRADE –

Fostering global economic growth by reducing barriers to trade remains “imperative” and the leaders “reaffirm our commitment to keep markets open and fight all forms of protectionism, including through standstill and rollback.”

The seven leaders at the G-7 summit also “welcome(d) progress on major ongoing trade negotiations, including on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the EU-Japan FTA/Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

– HEALTH –

The Ebola crisis has shown that the world needs to “improve its capacity to prevent, protect against, detect, report and respond to public health emergencies,” the communique said.

Leaders at the G-7 summit said they were “strongly committed to getting the Ebola cases down to zero” and recognised the “importance of supporting recovery for those countries most affected by the outbreak.” “We must draw lessons from this crisis,” they said.

– LABOUR SAFETY –

“G7 countries have an important role to play in promoting labour rights, decent working conditions and environmental protection in global supply chains,” the statement said.

– WOMEN –

G-7: The leaders noted that “across G7 countries and around the world, far fewer women than men run their own businesses often due to additional barriers that women face in starting and growing businesses.”

“We agree on common principles to boost women’s entrepreneurship … We will make girls and women aware of the possibility of becoming entrepreneurs,” the statement added.

– UKRAINE –

G-7: Leaders said they were “ready to take further restrictive measures in order to increase cost on Russia should its actions so require.” They said the “duration of sanctions should be clearly linked to Russia’s complete implementation of the Minsk agreements and respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty.”

The leaders also voiced concern about the recent flare-up in fighting and urged “all sides to fully respect and implement the ceasefire and withdraw heavy weapons.”

 

G7 conclusion: What Buhari, others agreed at the G7 summit in Germany

Buhari to leave for G7 summit in Germany

President Muhammadu Buhari will today (Sunday) leave Nigeria to attend the G7 Summit in Bavaria, Germany. The two-day visit is for today (Sunday) and tomorrow (Monday).

This was contained in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu. According to the statement, the invitation was extended to Buhari by German Chancellor Angela Merkel before the president was sworn in on May 29.

“The invitation is a clear indication of the international community’s willingness to cooperate with the new government of Nigeria”, the statement said.

It added that the president would not be participating in the main meetings, since Nigeria is not a member of the G7 group.

“He (Buhari) is in a group of seven other heads of state who were called in as guests. He will equally be holding key side meetings with some of the seven Heads of State who will be convened at the summit.

The international community is obviously acknowledging Nigeria’s significant role in global affairs, especially with the recent change in government” it stressed.

Buhari to leave for G7 summit in Germany

Germany beats Nigeria to win FIFA U-20 Women’s W’Cup

Germany has won the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup for a record-equalling third time after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Nigeria at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, Canada.

Lena Petermann scored the title-winning goal eight minutes into extra time to settle a match that, like the semi-final against France, had seen the Germans outplayed for long stretches. For the second match in succession, though, the Europeans’ will to win shone through, as did the quality of goalkeeper Meike Kamper – again named player of the match.

This clash of styles and football cultures was always expected to produce an open, engaging final, and so it proved, with the first chance created after just 40 seconds. Germany were the team to make the early running, with a quickly taken free-kick releasing Marine Dafeur for a left-foot shot that Kim Chol-Ok saved fairly comfortably.

Nigeria quickly gained a foothold, though, and went on to dominate the first half, creating the better and more numerous chances. An inability to convert those chances was their only failing, and the most guilty party was tournament top scorer Asisat Oshoala.

The in-form striker, who had scored four times in the semi-final win over Korea DPR, was lively throughout but missed her first golden opportunity after 22 minutes. In fairness, she created the opening out of nothing, robbing Margarita Gidion, outpacing the German defence and rounding Kamper in a stunning display of speed and strength. She could not, however, find the finishing touch, managing only to shoot into the side-netting from an acute angle.

With Nigeria’s superior physical attributes a telling factor on the big Olympic Stadium pitch, it wasn’t long before more chances arrived, with Oshoala again given a sight of goal seven minutes before the break. Again, though, her sights were out, with the ball flashing wide after Chiwendo Ihezuo had done well to snatch possession from Rebecca Knaak at the byline and cut the ball back.

These were nonetheless worrying times for Germany, whose best effort had come from a Lina Magull free-kick comfortably saved by Sandra Chiichii. But Maren Meinert’s side began the second half brightly, with Theresa Panfil and Lena Petermann combining to tee up Sara Daebritz for a powerful left-foot shot that skidded into the arms of Chiichii.

Oshoala remained a constant source of danger, though, and she again came to life three minutes later, jinking in from the left wing past two German defenders. All that was lacking was the final touch, with the No4′s first effort striking a team-mate before the rebound was sliced high and wide.

However, missing chances wasn’t restricted to Oshoala and Nigeria. Germany also spurned their opportunities, with Pauline Bremer stealing in unmarked on a Sara Dabritz free-kick only to head wastefully wide. The Super Falconets then had to call on the bravery of their keeper, with Chiichii racing from her line to dive at the feet of Lena Petermann, picking up a bruised jaw in the process.

Play still tended to rage towards the other end, though, and with five minutes remaining Nigeria had the ball in the net only for their celebrations to be cut short by the assistant referee’s flag. That left extra time to settle this pulsating affair and, after Oshoala had again gone close for Nigeria, it was Germany who found a breakthrough.

Petermann scored it, slotting home from six yards, but the plaudits went to the energetic Bremer, who had robbed left-back Gladys Abasi before driving towards the byline and delivering the perfect cutback.

Nigeria, who had given so much to the match, proved unable to respond. Germany saw out the remaining minutes with a degree of comfort and can now savour the familiar feeling of being crowned champions of the world.

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Germany beats Nigeria to win FIFA U-20 Women’s W’Cup