Climate Change Tops G7 Agenda, Critics Remain Skeptical

German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged the Group of Seven (G7) Monday to toughen cuts on greenhouse gases as leaders discuss fighting climate change and armed insurgencies in Africa and the Middle East, during the second day of the summit taking place in Bavaria, Germany.

Addressing the G7 leaders from the U.S., Britain, Japan, France, Canada, Germany and Italy, Merkel expressed hope that during the meeting an agreement could be reached on specific emissions goals ahead of the United Nations climate summit in Paris.

Japan agreed Sunday that G7 countries should set targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions, while French President Francois Hollande hopes the group will commit to ambitious plans to end dependence on fossil fuels by 2050.

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Hollande also proposed a financial commitment to support low-income countries in changing their energy sectors in order to reduce carbon emissions. Similarly, the German Chancellor said she wants G7 countries to financial assist low-income countries subjected to the worst effects of climate change.

Despite ambitious promises to tackle climate change, the G7 countries spend US$8 billion annually in subsidies to expand oil, gas and coal reserves, according to a 2014 report on fossil-fuel exploration subsidies in the G7 countries.

“The countries of the G7 have done the most to cause climate change,” a group of climate change activists stated in an information pamphlet. “They are responsible for the majority of all the climate pollution in our atmosphere, despite having only 10 percent of the global population.”

Check out the joint toolkit we made with @FoEint and demand the #G7 #StopthePublicHandout: http://t.co/Bc236a5cvB pic.twitter.com/IVufgbnFPr

— ChangingEverythingUK (@TCEuk) June 6, 2015

This year, the US govt. will give around $5.1 billion to dirty energy companies. It's time to #StopthePublicHandout. pic.twitter.com/MbdDURWlME

— ChangingEverythingUK (@TCEuk) June 7, 2015

ENI reported 349 spills in the Niger delta in 2014. Why is the Italian govt., its shareholder, funding dirty energy? pic.twitter.com/DFMgjiIQlU

— ChangingEverythingUK (@TCEuk) June 8, 2015

Given the repeated failure of G7 to proactively address climate change, Greenpeace believes that the only way the summit can be successful is if the U.S., Japanese and Canadian leaders "take their feet off of the throat of a climate agreement."

According to Martin Kaiser, Greenpeace head of international climate politics, "This means an unequivocal commitment and support for competitive renewable energy technologies."

Monday’s sessions will also include talks on the rise of armed insurgency groups with the heads of state of Nigeria, Tunisia and Iraq.