President Trump's determination to gut Obama's climate change policies had its first world outing in Rome earlier this week, when a G7 energy ministers' meeting in Rome chaired by Italy failed to adopt the usual joint declaration.
Established in 1976 with Russia joining in 1998, (but expelled in 2014 for its annexation of Crimea) the G7 comprises the world's seven major advanced western economies - USA, UK, France, Germany, Canada, Italy and Japan - accounting for more than 64% of the net global wealth ($263 trillion). Italy is G7 chair for 2017, hosting a series of ministerial meetings in various cities. The EU also attends all G7 meetings.
During the ministerial meeting on Sunday and Monday, the US energy secretary Rick Perry reportedly demanded that the final document exclude references to the Paris Agreement on climate change agreed at the UN climate change conference in December 2015, which entered into force last November and is currently ratified by 143 of the UN's 196 member states. It commits nations to limiting the increase in average world temperatures over the pre-industrial level to 2C, while pursuing efforts to limit this to 1.5C - involving major reductions by 2050 and the eventual complete phasing out of all types of fossil fuels due to their high emissions of carbon dioxide, the leading contributor to global warming.
Following strong support for the agreement at the last year's G7 summit in Japan, the other six G7 members in Rome refused to cave in. So instead Italy's Minister for Economic Development, Carlo Calenda opted for a 'Chairman's Summary' telling a press conference that "while all other ministers reaffirmed their commitment towards the implementation of the Paris Agreement, US secretary of energy Rick Perry has informed fellow ministers and EU Commissioner that the United States is in the process of reviewing many of its policies and reserves its position on this issue, which will be communicated at a future date".
The Summary reported agreements on a number of topics such as energy security and efficiency, the role of natural gas, support to developing access to energy services in developing nations.
EU's Climate and Energy Commissioner, Miguel Arias Cañete, recently in China to further cement cooperation on climate change and renewable energy issues said in a statement that "while Secretary Perry informed us that the US is currently reviewing its energy and climate policies, I was particularly pleased to see that all others joined the EU in reaffirming our solid commitment and determination to implement the Paris Agreement and continue the clean energy transition."
During the presidential elections, Donald Trump had declared that he would 'cancel' the Paris Agreement and since his installation has stacked his new administration with climate 'sceptics' as well as supporters and former executives of the oil, gas and coal industries - notably former Exxon CEO, Rex Tillerson, now Secretary of State. Mr Tillerson however has said that the US should not withdraw from the Paris Agreement, but 'keep a seat at the table', nominating a full delegation to next month's UN climate change talks in Bonn (the 'intersessional' between each annual conference of contracting parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change).
A recent White House announcement indicated that the US government would state whether it would stay or go from the Agreement before the G7 summit in Taormina, Sicily (26-27 May). This followed wide ranging by announcements of measures (many needing approval from Congress) to remove climate change related activities from all US government programmes as well as contributions to international organisations, boost oil, coal and gas and scale back support to renewable energies.
During the G7 meeting, as well as in a subsequent press statement Secretary Perry urged the need for governments to invest in traditional energy sources like advanced nuclear technologies, as well as use development banks to support high-efficiency coal and natural gas. "We are committed to developing, deploying and commercializing breakthrough technologies and developing the necessary policies that will help renewables become competitive with traditional sources of energy," Mr. Perry said.
According to industry sources, rapidly growing electricity generated from renewable energy sources is already at 'grid parity' ie no more expensive than that generated from fossil fuel based power stations in 30 countries, with two-thirds of the world's nations forecast to achieve this within the next few years.