Food and environment dominate G8
Monday, 7 July 2008 10:59 AM
Global food supply and climate change look set to dominate talks at the G8 summit in Japan
UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon and World Bank president Robert Zoellick have called on G8 leaders to invest now to prevent future food price crises.
Speaking at a press conference in Hokkaido, Japan, where this year's G8 summit got underway today, the pair pressed the importance of getting through the current "danger zone" with swift action.
"Our efforts so far have been too divided, too sporadic. The time has come to take a very different approach. The UN stands ready to assist on all these global challenges," Mr Ban said.
"Every dollar euro or yen invested today. is worth ten tomorrow and 100 the day after. I urge the world leaders present ihere in Hokkaido to be the catalyst for this collective effort."
Mr Zoellick underlined the UN's concerns, saying: "We need to turn this crisis into an opportunity for development over the long-term.
"With wise investments we can vastly expand yields. especially in Africa, increasing the incomes of the poor while producing more food."
Yasuo Fukuda, the prime minister of Japan, said the "pressing issues that must be tackled" include the world economy, environmental concerns and African development.
His goal for the three-day summit is to "pave the way to a better world".
"Global warming is a huge challenge, and humanity has no time to lose. The international community must urgently strengthen efforts to resolve this issue," Mr Fukuda said.
"In this endeavour, Japan has proposed the Cool Earth Promotion Programme. As chair of the G8 Summit, I will work towards establishing a framework with fair and equitable emissions targets in which all major emitters participate."
Future energy supply will be on the agenda, including the use of biofuels.
This has proved controversial as a number of conservation groups and world leaders have expressed concern at the impact biofuels are having on the environment and the cost of food.
Last week a report leaked from the World Bank claimed that biofuels had caused a 75 per cent increase in global food prices.
Friends of the Earth's international climate campaigner Tom Picken said: "G8 nations have been responsible for most of the pollution causing this climate crisis - and therefore have a moral obligation to take the lead in tackling it to ensure average global temperatures do not rise by more than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels."
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