G7 commits to faster clean energy transition

Some of the world’s largest and most advanced economies committed to a quicker transition to clean and renewable energy on Sunday, but stopped short of vowing to phase out coal by a 2030 deadline.

At a meeting for the Group of Seven nations, which includes the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Japan, Italy, Canada and the European Union, committed to accelerating the transition to clean energy to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at the latest, in a 36-page communique, according to the Associated Press.

“Recognizing the current global energy crisis and economic disruptions, we reaffirm our commitment to accelerating the clean energy transition to net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 at the latest,” the communique said.

While the countries committed to the net-zero goal by 2050 and said they would accelerate efforts to reach the landmark, there was no commitment to phase out coal by the end of the decade and left open the possibility that countries could continue to use fossil fuels as they continue toward “predominantly decarbonized power sector(s)” by 2035.

But the countries did agree that even as the door to the use of fossil fuels was left open, efforts must be made to avoid “unabated” fossil fuel generation, which means power plants must make an effort to capture emissions and keep them from reaching the environment.

The commitments came after two days of meetings in Japan. John Kerry, the U.S. special presidential envoy for climate, told the Associated Press that he thought the talks were constructive.

“I think the unity for the goal that was expressed of phasing out unabated fossil fuels is a very important statement,” Kerry said in an interview with The Associated Press.

The meetings in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo come about a month before a scheduled meeting of the group again in May in Hiroshima.