Do you believe in the new G8 ambitions?

Introduction

“The annual Leaders’ Summit is the highest-profile and most important event in the G8 process, but that process does in fact cover the whole year, with meetings at the ministerial and ranking functionary levels. The main issues on the Italian Presidency’s agenda are: a response to the global economic and financial crisis; the restoration of grassroots confidence and a boost to growth on a more solid and balanced basis, also through the definition of new, shared ground rules for economic activities; a focus on the social aspect of employment, to help the weaker sectors of society both in the industrially advanced countries and in the poorer countries; the struggle against protectionism and the deregulation of world trade for everyone’s benefit; the resolution of regional crises; food security and safety; and the struggle against climate changes. To debate these issues, the Italian Presidency has organized a G8 Summit which will be unique in terms of the number of countries attending, comprising as it will both the emerging countries, Africa and the main International Organizations. Some 90% of the world’s economy will be represented at the Summit in the expanded working sessions. ”

http://www.g8italia2009.it/G8/Home/G8-G8_Layout_locale-1199882116809_Summit.htm

Concerns

07/08/09- The G8 (Canada, the Russian Federation, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States) met at Aquila, Italy in order to establish balance in the world (economically, socially, environmentally, legally, and equitably). What a challenge and ambition ! It really sounds like that the G8 is thinking more sustainably ! This is probably the result of numerous anti-globalization protests during previous G8 summits (June 2007 in Rostock, Germany for instance). Even if the G8 formulated a promising outline, focused on poorer countries (best way to mother world balance), no real progress have been made (to today 07/10/09)

Progress

07/10/09- “Developing nations are prepared to make concessions on climate change targets if the G8 fulfils its side of the bargain in the run-up to the climate change talks in Copenhagen in December, a key negotiator told the Guardian today.
The developing countries want the G8 nations to sign up to a 40% cut by 2020, but that figure is off the radar of the EU and, given the unwieldy legislation laboriously passing through the senate, not a possibility for the US.
In important forward steps this week, the G8 agreed to cut its emissions by 80% by 2050 and said worldwide emissions should fall 50% by the same date.
However, the value of this pledge has been reduced by the lack of an agreed start date from which the emission cuts should be measured, making it a distant promise.”
See full article (HERE)

Short summary

Even though the Aquila G8 summit and the coming one in Copenhagen (Denmark, Dec. 11, 2009) definitely show a concern in environmental, health and economical issues specifically for poorer countries, the G8 still does seem to have much trust from the public opinion anymore. Indeed, the Heads of State and Government Leaders of the world’s major industrially advanced democracies have been meeting on an annual basis since 1975 to debate the most important economic and political issues on the global agenda, but never really make any major revolution.
DO YOU THINK THE WORLD AND G8 IS CHANGING? DO YOU FEEL THAT IT IS THE RIGHT WAY TO WORK ON INTERNATIONAL COHESION?