June 8th, 2007, 00:24
BBC Breaking News Thursday 8th June
"Leaders of the G8 nations have agreed to a compromise deal on tackling climate change, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said. "We agreed... that CO2 emissions must first be stopped and then followed by substantial reductions," she said.
Reports said the leaders had agreed to hold talks on a replacement to the Kyoto Protocol within a UN framework.
Mrs Merkel had been pushing for a 50% cut in emissions by 2050. The US had resisted calls for targets to be fixed.
"Global greenhouse gas emissions must stop rising, followed by substantial global emission reductions"
G8 statement
She said G8 leaders had agreed to consider her target, but there was no suggestion that a final agreement would include any mandatory commitment to major emissions cuts. According to an extract from the agreed text published on the G8 website, the leaders agreed to take "strong and early" action.
"Taking into account the scientific knowledge as represented in the recent IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] reports, global greenhouse gas emissions must stop rising, followed by substantial global emission reductions," the text says.
Blair optimistic The German chancellor has portrayed the deal as a major success.
But the BBC's diplomatic correspondent James Robbins, in Heiligendamm, says the precise wording of today's agreement will be picked over by critics and environmental campaigners.
I'm both surprised and very pleased at how far we have come forward Tony Blair British Prime Minister.
Ahead of the meeting US President George W Bush proposed the establishment of his own process of climate control negotiations. The compromise appears to bring Mr Bush's plan into the wider UN-brokered process - something the US had previously resisted.
Speaking to reporters, British Prime Minister Tony Blair deflected concerns about the absence of a precise definition of the term "substantial cuts". "I'm both surprised and very pleased at how far we have come forward in the couple of years since [the 2005 G8 summit at] Gleneagles," he told reporters.
"Now we have an agreement that there will be a climate change deal, it will involve everyone, including the US and China, and it will involve substantial cuts."
Climate change had been one of several themes dominating the build-up to the summit.
Meanwhile, Mr Bush has met Russian President Vladimir Putin against a backdrop of disagreements over US plans for missile defence.
Mr Bush said the pair had a "constructive" meeting, in which Mr Putin suggested using a radar station in Azerbaijan instead of facilities elsewhere in Europe.
Earlier, Mr Bush said the row over a missile defence shield was "nothing we ought to be hyperventilating about".
BBC News
So Pres. Bush's charm offensive which seems to have blown hot and cold, has upset the Czechs and Russians over the missile defense shield neither of whom want it. Tony Blair, Angela Merkel, and many are desperately disappointed that no clear action for leadership on climate change can be announced due to the President's vacillating and intransigence.
"Leaders of the G8 nations have agreed to a compromise deal on tackling climate change, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said. "We agreed... that CO2 emissions must first be stopped and then followed by substantial reductions," she said.
Reports said the leaders had agreed to hold talks on a replacement to the Kyoto Protocol within a UN framework.
Mrs Merkel had been pushing for a 50% cut in emissions by 2050. The US had resisted calls for targets to be fixed.
"Global greenhouse gas emissions must stop rising, followed by substantial global emission reductions"
G8 statement
She said G8 leaders had agreed to consider her target, but there was no suggestion that a final agreement would include any mandatory commitment to major emissions cuts. According to an extract from the agreed text published on the G8 website, the leaders agreed to take "strong and early" action.
"Taking into account the scientific knowledge as represented in the recent IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] reports, global greenhouse gas emissions must stop rising, followed by substantial global emission reductions," the text says.
Blair optimistic The German chancellor has portrayed the deal as a major success.
But the BBC's diplomatic correspondent James Robbins, in Heiligendamm, says the precise wording of today's agreement will be picked over by critics and environmental campaigners.
I'm both surprised and very pleased at how far we have come forward Tony Blair British Prime Minister.
Ahead of the meeting US President George W Bush proposed the establishment of his own process of climate control negotiations. The compromise appears to bring Mr Bush's plan into the wider UN-brokered process - something the US had previously resisted.
Speaking to reporters, British Prime Minister Tony Blair deflected concerns about the absence of a precise definition of the term "substantial cuts". "I'm both surprised and very pleased at how far we have come forward in the couple of years since [the 2005 G8 summit at] Gleneagles," he told reporters.
"Now we have an agreement that there will be a climate change deal, it will involve everyone, including the US and China, and it will involve substantial cuts."
Climate change had been one of several themes dominating the build-up to the summit.
Meanwhile, Mr Bush has met Russian President Vladimir Putin against a backdrop of disagreements over US plans for missile defence.
Mr Bush said the pair had a "constructive" meeting, in which Mr Putin suggested using a radar station in Azerbaijan instead of facilities elsewhere in Europe.
Earlier, Mr Bush said the row over a missile defence shield was "nothing we ought to be hyperventilating about".
BBC News
So Pres. Bush's charm offensive which seems to have blown hot and cold, has upset the Czechs and Russians over the missile defense shield neither of whom want it. Tony Blair, Angela Merkel, and many are desperately disappointed that no clear action for leadership on climate change can be announced due to the President's vacillating and intransigence.