G7 energy ministers failed to reach agreement on a joint statement on climate change on Monday after the United States expressed reservations, an Italian minister said.

The United States "reserved its position" on the text about commitments made by G7 countries under the 2015 Paris climate accord, said Carlo Calenda, the Italian minister for economic development, who chaired the meeting in Rome.

Lacking unanimity, Italy, which currently presides the Group of Seven, decided against proposing the joint statement, Calenda said.

The Paris Agreement, endorsed by members of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is a bedrock of international action against man-made global warming.

It vows to cap warming to "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to late 19th-century levels -- an effort that scientists say will require massive cuts in carbon emissions from coal and other fossil fuels.

It also pledges to provide hundreds of billions of dollars in aid for poor countries badly exposed to drought, flood, rising seas and other climate impacts.

In March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order rolling back some of the previous Democratic administration's policies on carbon emissions and climate change.

Experts have said his plan, which eases emissions limits for coal-fired power plants and scraps more stringent vehicle pollution standards, almost guarantees that the United States will fail to meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement.

Trump has also said he does not intend to honour promises made by the administration of his predecessor, Barack Obama, to provide financial aid under the Paris accord.

However, Trump's team is also deeply divided on whether to withdraw from the pact, according to US media reports.

On March 30, the White House said a decision on whether to withdraw would be made ahead of the G7 summit in Italy in late May.

Under Obama, the United States, the second biggest carbon polluter, provided critical impetus for the Paris deal by concluding a precursor deal with China, the number one emitter.

The Group of Seven, gathering the biggest western democracies, comprises Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.

Tweet

How ENSO and Atlantic ADO impact East Asian winter monsoon
Bejing, China (SPX) Apr 10, 2017
Previous studies have indicated that the Atlantic Ocean acts as a pacemaker for the Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) mean state and variability. The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) could modulate the variability of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) through changing the Walker circulation, wave trains, storm track and surface winds. B ... read more

Related Links
Climate Science News - Modeling, Mitigation Adaptation

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only