Date: 2025-07-03 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00020629
International Affairs
G7
The G7, and why we won’t backslide on climate again
Peter Burgess
The G7, and why we won’t backslide on climate again Michael Jenkins info@forest-trends.org via gmail.mcsv.net 12:03 PM (59 minutes ago) to me
Dear Friends,
Climate change is almost never a big issue on the G7 meeting agenda, but this year it took center billing along with the COVID-19 pandemic. We heard pledges from world leaders to halve emissions by 2030, and push banks toward mandatory disclosure of climate risks. There was something else in the air that I have been thinking about, and wanted to share with you. What we saw at the G7 the past weekend and in recent developments - like Shell being ordered to slash its emissions in a landmark ruling, the shareholder activism at Exxon, and big banks supporting the SEC’s new climate disclosure plan - all feels very different to me from the way we are used to see governments and investors approach climate change. When you embed climate change considerations into financial reporting; when ignoring climate change is seen by your investors as an untenable business model; when you reorient a country’s economy to net zero – we’re unlikely to slip backwards from these deep changes. Climate security is no longer a budget line item that could be cut, or an international treaty the next President can easily back out of. It simply becomes the stuff of everyday decision-making and planning. We founded Forest Trends two decades ago to shepherd in an economic system that recognizes the value of a healthy planet and reinvests in it. I think we are getting closer – and it is happening somewhat below the surface of the news, and in many ways very suddenly! Of course we didn’t get everything we wanted from the G7. More specifics on climate finance to developing countries are needed immediately, or I worry it will suck all of the air out of the room at COP-26 in Glasgow, with little time left over for other ambitions. I suspect we also won’t get everything we want with the US infrastructure package. But I think what we’re seeing right now are clear signs of the world getting “locked in” to taking action on climate, in some really fundamental and important ways. But let’s keep pressing for action today – whether for you that is planting trees, conserving nature, fighting for climate justice, or other important work – to make sure we move quickly enough to make a difference. Michael Copyright © 2021 Forest Trends, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you expressed interest in Forest Trends and/or a Forest Trends Initiative or Program. Our mailing address is: Forest Trends 1203 19th St NW # 4 Washington, DC 20036-2463 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp