Group of Seven leaders agree on carbon goal; Aung San Suu Kyi to visit Beijing; South Korea confirms seventh MERS death; Mexicans elect first independent governor; UN presents unity plan to Libya; and more
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TOP OF THE AGENDA
Group of Seven Agree on Carbon Goal
Leaders of the Group of Seven nations committed to take "urgent and concrete action" on climate change in 2015 (Guardian), agreeing to reduce their economies' reliance on carbon fuels. In a communique issued after a two-day summit in Bavaria, members backed a 40 to 70 percent reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions from 2010 levels by 2050 (Al Jazeera). The group also reaffirmed the goal of limiting global warming in the twenty-first century to two degrees Celsius from preindustrial levels (WSJ). European members had pressed their G7 partners to sign up to legally binding targets (DW) for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but met resistance from the United States, which has been reluctant to set such targets.
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ANALYSIS
"The G-7 leaders didn't address in detail how to resolve all these issues. In U.N. climate talks on an envisioned pact in Paris later this year, countries have a hard time agreeing on much smaller things, like whether to renew their individual climate targets every five or 10 years," writers Karl Ritter for the Associated Press.
"The problem with the G7 is the simple fact there are only 7 countries involved. Even if the group dramatically cuts emissions, there will be little impact on climate change if developing countries do not take similar actions," writes Kyle Bakx for the CBC.
"First, it is unclear how promises made by the middle-aged leaders of rich countries will be honoured by their grandchildren. And even if the climate-change conference in Paris later this year reaches a deal, it is unclear if it will stick, or whether they will come via carbon taxes, a cap-and-trade system, subsidies for renewables, or all of these policies combined," writes the Economist.
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PACIFIC RIM
Aung San Suu Kyi to Visit Beijing
Myanmar opposition leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi will make her first visit to China (Reuters) on Wednesday on an invitation from Beijing, where she will meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. Some see the trip as a snub to Myanmar's quasi-military government, whose fighting with rebels along the Chinese border has frustrated the Chinese government.
SOUTH KOREA: South Korea confirmed its seventh death (Yonhap) from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and reported eight new cases, raising the number of infections to ninety-five. MERS is a viral respiratory disease that was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012.
ELSEWHERE:
Mexicans elect first independent governor
UN presents unity plan to Libya
This is an excerpt of the CFR.org Daily News Brief. The full version is available on CFR.org
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