Bernd Pfaffenbach, German Chancellor Merkel's point man for next week's G8 summit, spoke with DW about the pressing issues on the agenda as the world's leading industrialized powers meet in Japan. There will be plenty of topics on the agenda at the G8 summit in Japan. Which issues do you think stand out? Bernd Pfaffenbach: G8 summits are always marked by a large variety of topics. The skill lies in structuring the topics in such a way that they are easy to manage. But I think climate change will be a huge issue at this year's summit. We Germans are satisfied with the agenda because it strongly reflects, draws upon and continues with our program from last year's G8 summit in Heiligendamm, Germany. You said climate change was a big topic at last year's summit. However the Japanese hosts have played down expectations this year. Do you think the summit declaration will fall far short of the goals issued by last year's G8 summit? I don't think so; we wouldn't like that at all. I don't think the Japanese can afford to rein in their ambitions so much as to create a setback compared to last year's summit. Of course, talks will be difficult. But I think we've prepared ourselves quite well. In the end, it will all depend on the deftness of the G8 heads of state and government leaders to draw the emerging economies into the process.
There will be plenty of topics on the agenda at the G8 summit in Japan. Which issues do you think stand out?
Bernd Pfaffenbach: G8 summits are always marked by a large variety of topics. The skill lies in structuring the topics in such a way that they are easy to manage. But I think climate change will be a huge issue at this year's summit. We Germans are satisfied with the agenda because it strongly reflects, draws upon and continues with our program from last year's G8 summit in Heiligendamm, Germany.
You said climate change was a big topic at last year's summit. However the Japanese hosts have played down expectations this year. Do you think the summit declaration will fall far short of the goals issued by last year's G8 summit?
I don't think so; we wouldn't like that at all. I don't think the Japanese can afford to rein in their ambitions so much as to create a setback compared to last year's summit. Of course, talks will be difficult. But I think we've prepared ourselves quite well. In the end, it will all depend on the deftness of the G8 heads of state and government leaders to draw the emerging economies into the process.
The major developing countries are being drawn into climate-control policies under a process initiated during the German presidency of the Group of Eight, officials said in Berlin ahead of the G8 summit in Japan. The Heiligendamm Process, under which G8 members meet regularly with the five-strong Outreach Group -- Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa -- had shown progress over the past year, German government sources said on Thursday, July 3. Noting that the United States had declined to ratify the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gas emissions precisely because major developing countries, particularly China and India, were freed from its obligations, they said these countries were now being drawn into global climate change initiatives.
The Heiligendamm Process, under which G8 members meet regularly with the five-strong Outreach Group -- Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa -- had shown progress over the past year, German government sources said on Thursday, July 3.
Noting that the United States had declined to ratify the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gas emissions precisely because major developing countries, particularly China and India, were freed from its obligations, they said these countries were now being drawn into global climate change initiatives.
