G-7 countries to slash emissions by 2035

Following climate talks in Berlin, the bloc of nations with leading economies known as the Group of Seven announced Friday its members intend to largely eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from their power sectors by 2035. That will mean rolling back the use of coal for electricity. G-7 members include the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Japan. The Group of 20, a broader bloc of leading and emerging economies that are responsible for about 80 percent of global emissions, plan to meet later this year. The G-7 pledge could encourage other nations to follow suit with similar emission reduction targets.

How does this help the environment? Coal burning is responsible for a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said in an April report that cutting these emissions is necessary to keep world temperatures from rising and causing ecological damage. (The panel’s reports, which rely on uncertain climate models to predict future warming, have also drawn criticism for its forecasts.) G-7 countries also agreed this week to reduce carbon emissions on roads, which would require more use of electric vehicles. Germany and the United States plan to cooperate on creating technologies to shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy. 

Dig deeper: Read Esther Eaton’s report in WORLD Magazine on young Republicans working to unfreeze the climate-change debate.