Bush lauds G-8 for work on Envt, trade enhancement & poor emancipation
U.S. President George W. Bush hails the G-8 summit's move to coalesce behind a global climate change strategy, saying he hopes it will ultimately help nations to be ``good stewards of the environment.''
By Agencies |
JAPAN : U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday hailed the G-8 summit's move to coalesce behind a global climate change strategy, saying he hopes it will ultimately help nations to be ``good stewards of the environment.''
Bush also praised his fellow summit leaders - the heads of Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Japan and Russia - for their work to advance the so-called Doha Round of negotiations on opening markets to free trade and their cooperation with U.S. efforts to help poor nations combat disease and food shortages.
``In order to address climate change, all major economies must be at the table, and that's what took place today,'' Bush said in a statement to reporters at the conclusion of the summit of leading industrialized nations - a meeting that he said also moved ahead on international free trade and combating hunger and disease around the world.
It was quite a progression for Bush, who early in his presidency had disputed many scientists' assertions about global warming. He backed the G-8 summit declaration that greenhouse gas emissions should be halved by the middle of the century.
``We made clear, and the other nations agreed, that they must also participate in an ambitious goal,'' he said, ``with an interim goal, with interim plans to enable the world to successfully address climate change. And we made significant progress toward a comprehensive approach.''
Bush, in a statement to reporters here, also reiterated his position that much substantive progress will hinge on further development of clean energy technology and said developing nations will need assistance in this area so they can become ``good stewards of the environment.''
It was Bush's last G-8 summit, and the meeting here, along with his talks on the sidelines of the summit, presented a mixed scorecard for him to take home. The president saw fellow G-8 leaders essentially embrace his argument that a comprehensive global warming strategy must include participation by developing nations as well as the leading industrialized democracies.
But he ran into some opposition to talk of trade sanctions against Zimbabwe after President Robert Mugabe's electoral victory in what Bush has labeled a ``sham'' balloting. And he made no headway in resolving differences with Russia over U.S. plans to put a missile defense system in Eastern Europe.
Bush took no questions from reporters in delivering his departure statement. Nor did he address criticisms that emerged about the G-8's positions, such as the contention by some environmental activists that the group's stance on reducing global warming amounted to political window-dressing and did not go far enough _ or fast enough.
Instead, he sought to frame the summit as a glowing success. Bush said the world's richest countries had moved to improve to the daily life of millions of people. He cited new agreements on fighting disease, protecting the environment and promoting development.
In doing so, the president said, ``We served both our interests as Americans, and we've served the interests of the world.''
Among other achievements Bush touted, he said the G-8 nations had agreed to produce clear, transparent reports on whether they are keeping their promises of humanitarian aid to poverty-stricken Africa.
He said such accountability will keep politicians from talking big but not following through.
``I've always believed that to whom much is given, much is required,'' Bush said. ``The nations sitting around the table have got much, and I think we're required to help those who don't.''
And on the sidelines of the summit, he had one-on-one meetings with several world leaders, including China's President Hu Jintao. He assured Hu that he is excited about going to the Beijing Olympics later this summer, though some leaders had raised the possibility of a boycott to protest China's crackdown on riots in Tibet. Hu responded that he was grateful the United States had not politicized the event.
Bush also praised his fellow summit leaders - the heads of Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Japan and Russia - for their work to advance the so-called Doha Round of negotiations on opening markets to free trade and their cooperation with U.S. efforts to help poor nations combat disease and food shortages.
``In order to address climate change, all major economies must be at the table, and that's what took place today,'' Bush said in a statement to reporters at the conclusion of the summit of leading industrialized nations - a meeting that he said also moved ahead on international free trade and combating hunger and disease around the world.
It was quite a progression for Bush, who early in his presidency had disputed many scientists' assertions about global warming. He backed the G-8 summit declaration that greenhouse gas emissions should be halved by the middle of the century.
``We made clear, and the other nations agreed, that they must also participate in an ambitious goal,'' he said, ``with an interim goal, with interim plans to enable the world to successfully address climate change. And we made significant progress toward a comprehensive approach.''
Bush, in a statement to reporters here, also reiterated his position that much substantive progress will hinge on further development of clean energy technology and said developing nations will need assistance in this area so they can become ``good stewards of the environment.''
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It was Bush's last G-8 summit, and the meeting here, along with his talks on the sidelines of the summit, presented a mixed scorecard for him to take home. The president saw fellow G-8 leaders essentially embrace his argument that a comprehensive global warming strategy must include participation by developing nations as well as the leading industrialized democracies.
But he ran into some opposition to talk of trade sanctions against Zimbabwe after President Robert Mugabe's electoral victory in what Bush has labeled a ``sham'' balloting. And he made no headway in resolving differences with Russia over U.S. plans to put a missile defense system in Eastern Europe.
Bush took no questions from reporters in delivering his departure statement. Nor did he address criticisms that emerged about the G-8's positions, such as the contention by some environmental activists that the group's stance on reducing global warming amounted to political window-dressing and did not go far enough _ or fast enough.
Instead, he sought to frame the summit as a glowing success. Bush said the world's richest countries had moved to improve to the daily life of millions of people. He cited new agreements on fighting disease, protecting the environment and promoting development.
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In doing so, the president said, ``We served both our interests as Americans, and we've served the interests of the world.''
Among other achievements Bush touted, he said the G-8 nations had agreed to produce clear, transparent reports on whether they are keeping their promises of humanitarian aid to poverty-stricken Africa.
ADVERTISEMENT
He said such accountability will keep politicians from talking big but not following through.
``I've always believed that to whom much is given, much is required,'' Bush said. ``The nations sitting around the table have got much, and I think we're required to help those who don't.''
And on the sidelines of the summit, he had one-on-one meetings with several world leaders, including China's President Hu Jintao. He assured Hu that he is excited about going to the Beijing Olympics later this summer, though some leaders had raised the possibility of a boycott to protest China's crackdown on riots in Tibet. Hu responded that he was grateful the United States had not politicized the event.
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