7 June 2007
The Prime Minister welcomed an agreement at the G8 summit on how to tackle climate change and global warming.
- PM hails climate change agreement
- G8 not just about climate change - PM
- Doorstep in Heiligendamm
- Q & A in Heiligendamm
- PM’s statement in Heiligendamm
Parts of this transcript may have been edited
Read the transcript
Prime Minister:
Well obviously this is a summit where we will be discussing two crucial issues. One is the change in the climate and the actions that we need to take in order to address that, and I think there is a substantial coming together around the need to make sure that we have a substantial reduction in emissions and find the right process and the right way that we can achieve that. And I think with the President’s speech last week this has moved the situation on a great deal. I think there is a real desire to come together. I think everyone wants to be part of a post-Kyoto deal, everyone wants to try and make sure that that is the deal it has got to be, that includes all the major emitters. And everyone wants to make sure that that deal can then command broad agreement right across the international community and deliver what people want to see, both for reasons of the environment and for reasons of energy security.
However I think both myself and the President are very concerned as well to make sure that we do not simply focus on climate change. We have also got to focus on recommitting ourselves to the Gleneagles process on Africa, on making major steps forward there in relation to things like HIV-Aids and education. In addition to that of course there is the situation in Darfur where we both are anxious that there is strong action taken. And then we have also managed to have a word too about the world trade talks which we want to see reach a successful conclusion.
So there is still obviously a lot of talking and discussion going on and we are about to go in for the main session now, but I do feel myself that people are coming together and I think that is important.
President Bush:
A good start there.
Prime Minister:
Thank you.
President Bush:
We had a press conference in the Rose Garden. You know, it was the last time on US soil where I would be standing next to the Prime Minister talking about, you know, what we believe and how our efforts are going to lead to peace and to a better world for a lot of people. This is the last meeting I will have with him as Prime Minister. It is a nostalgic moment for me. I am sorry it has come to be but that is what happens in life, we will move on.
As Tony said, we talked about global climate change. I told him in Washington and I have recommitted myself today that the United States will be actively involved. We have not taken a lead in a post-Kyoto agreement. I view our role as a bridge between people in Europe and others and India and China. If you want them at the table it is important to give them an opportunity to set an international goal, and that is why I laid out the initiative I laid out. And I told Tony that we are deadly earnest in getting something done, this is a serious business. And the fundamental question is how best to send proper signals to create the technologies necessary to deal with this issue.
And as we discuss a global climate change it is really important we don’t forget those who are dying. I appreciate this man’s commitment to fighting global Aids. We do that ourselves. We laid out a $30 billion initiative, I am very proud of the United States citizens for supporting such an initiative. Over the past 3 years anti-retroviral drugs have been extended to over a million people, up from 50,000. So it is important to debate the environment and discuss it. It is also important for those of us who have got the wealth to put it to use to save lives. The malaria issue that we talked about is a really important initiative and I hope that countries here at the G8 join Great Britain and the United States in saving lives that can be saved in a pretty easy way. It just takes will and focus and effort.
And we did discuss Darfur. I am frustrated that the international organisations can’t move quickly enough. I don’t know how long it is going to take for people to hear the call to save lives. I will be stressing, along with Tony, the need for nations to take action. If the UN won’t act, we need to take action ourselves and I laid out a series of sanctions that I think hopefully will affect Bashir’s behaviour. But enough is enough in Darfur.
We talked about Doha. We are committed to doing a deal in Doha. If you are interested in alleviating poverty around the world then they ought to be joining and making the necessary concessions to have a global trading system that helps affect the poor.
So I have come with a broad agenda and a serious agenda, and so has the Prime Minister and it has been a good meaningful discussion as usual.
Question:
Mr President, you said it is important to set an international goal. How long does the world have to wait for America to set a goal that others can measure of how much you are cutting greenhouse gases by? And Prime Minister if I could ask you about another matter. Were you aware that your government was approving payments to a friend of President Bush as part of British Aerospace’s kick-back system, and is that why you suspended a fraud inquiry?
President Bush:
I’m glad you are answering that question …
Prime Minister:
On the point you asked me, let me make one thing very clear. I am not going to comment on the individual allegations and a lot of this of course relates to things that go back to the 1980s. But let me just make one thing very, very clear to you. This investigation, if it had gone ahead, would have involved the most serous allegations and investigations being made of the Saudi Royal Family. My job is to give advice as to whether that is a sensible thing in circumstances where I don’t believe the investigation incidentally would have led anywhere except to the complete wreckage of a vital strategic relationship for our country in terms of fighting terrorism, in terms of the Middle East, in terms of British interests there, quite apart from the fact that we would have lost thousands - thousands - of British jobs. So I totally understand why you guys have got to do your job, but I have got to do mine. And mine is sometimes taking these decisions about what I believe to be in the strategic interests of our country and holding to it. That is what I have done.
President Bush:
Greenhouse gases declined last year in the United States, in spite of the fact that our economy grew. Not many countries can make that claim. We are taking steps necessary to be good stewards of the environment at the same time as advancing technologies. Our record is a strong record, we have spent billions of dollars on technologies necessary to make us less dependent on foreign sources of oil and at the same time be good stewards of the environment. Secondly, as I proposed that by the end of 2008 the world’s emitters of greenhouse gases should come together and set an international goal. Nothing is going to happen in terms of substantial reductions unless China and India participate and so it is our role to serve as a bridge between people who have got one point of view about how to solve greenhouse gases and about how to get the developing nations such as China and India to the table. In the meantime we will move forward with a very aggressive agenda. I don’t know if you follow my speeches in the United States but I said that we will reduce gasoline use by 20% over the next 10 years, and the way you do that is through technologies, and ethanols, and battery technologies and I am convinced we will meet that goal and in so doing we will be yet again a world leader when it comes to new technologies.
Question:
Last night Putin’s spokesman said again that everything they have heard from you and from your staff about missile defence weapons left them unconvinced. What can you say to President Putin today that may be different or more specific than what we have heard so far that might change his mind?
President Bush:
I am looking forward to my meeting with Vladimir Putin. A missile defence system cannot stop multiple launch regimes, the fact is this, that you can’t stop 2, 3, 4 or 5 missiles. And therefore I will explain to him once again that a missile defence system is aimed at a rogue regime that may try to hold Russia, and/or Europe and the United States hostage. I think the best thing for me to do is just talk about the facts. Secondly, it is important for Russia and Russians to understand that I believe the Cold War ended, that Russia is not an enemy of the United States and that there are a lot of areas where we can work together, for example in Iran, or in areas of proliferation, there is a lot of constructive work we can do. And so I am looking forward to my dialogue with Vladimir Putin this afternoon. It is hopefully an attempt to find other areas where we can work together and make sure our rhetoric doesn’t cause concern in our respective countries and here in Europe. He doesn’t have to be viewed as an enemy and the missile defence system should say we can work together. I actually think that Russia ought to participate with us. If it is aimed at dealing with a rogue regime then it makes sense for Russia to say let’s join, let’s share technologies. And so I will reiterate the proposal we made, and that is send your Generals to the United States, send your scientists to the United States and we will share our vision and hopefully that will help. Hopefully the visit this afternoon will make it clear that we have no animosity, we bear no ill-will, we are simply trying to deal with the true threats of the 21st century, and I repeat Russia is not a threat, they are not a military threat, it is not something that we ought to be hyperventilating about. What we ought to be doing is figuring out ways to work together.