Open letter to the G7 ahead of the Leaders’ Summit
18 May 2023
Dear Leaders of the G7,
The IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report has shown we are at a dangerous precipice. Overshooting 1.5°C, even temporarily, will have devastating consequences. We must accelerate our actions to halve global emissions by 2030 through a just transition, and to keep 1.5°C in reach. Adaptation can save lives, but countries on the frontlines already face difficult choices and are reaching limits to their ability to adapt. Climate change is driving widespread loss and damage to nature and people.
We, as members of the High Ambition Coalition, are committed to keeping 1.5°C in reach. We know that this will require a transition at a scale and pace not yet seen in human history.
2023 must be the year that we correct our course. The outcome of the first Global Stocktake must shift us onto a path to deliver on the promises of the Paris Agreement.
The science is clear that in order to remain within 1.5°C, we must peak greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 at the latest and reduce them by 43% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels. We must bring the fossil fuel era to an end and phase out fossil fuels. We call on you to take the lead and work with us to agree this at COP28. And we urge you, as leaders of the G7, to accelerate your efforts to reach net zero emissions well before 2050, and to make plans for net negative economies.
We need to scale up renewable energy fast, both to substitute fossil fuels and to vastly improve access to clean energy across the developing world, while making existing energy use much more efficient. We need this transition to be just and equitable. We encourage you to support the establishment of global goals to this effect.
Redirecting fossil fuel subsidies towards renewable energy is key to this transition. We agree with the conclusion of the Sapporo G7 Climate, Energy and Environment Ministers’ Communiqué, which stresses “that fossil fuel subsidies are inconsistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement.” We call on you to lead the way by eliminating inefficient fossil fuel subsidies by 2025 at the latest.
We must all do our part in setting higher targets and meeting them. And we cannot do this without the leadership of the world’s largest economies and biggest emitters. We will reiterate this message to the G20.
Adapting to become more resilient to the climate crisis will require efforts across the planet, from the community to the global level. International support and cooperation is critical for addressing transboundary adaptation challenges, advancing national adaptation planning and implementation, and ensuring that the most vulnerable have the means to adapt.
Loss and damage is occurring today as a result of the climate crisis, and will worsen. We must all support the swift operationalization and capitalization of loss and damage funding arrangements, including a fund for responding to loss and damage.
Current finance flows fall far short of what is needed to meet our climate goals. We welcome the expectation that the $100 billion will be met this year, and hope to see progress on the commitment to double adaptation finance by 2025. We call on you to ensure that these commitments are met.
This year every effort must be made to ensure the successful replenishment of the Green Climate Fund, reflecting the urgency of drastically scaling up resources for the Fund. We call on all G7 members who have not yet announced replenishment to significantly exceed previous contributions.
We welcome efforts to develop a financial system that meets the needs of those on the frontlines of this crisis, because the costs of climate change are climbing fast. As leaders prepare to gather for the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact, we will support reforms to the international financial architecture to ensure that financial flows for climate change reach the trillions required, and are accessible and do not mire countries in further debt.
We welcome your support for advancing the global goal of aligning financial flows with the Paris Agreement and call on all countries to urgently strengthen their efforts to achieve it. We urge you to use your influence within MDBs to realign their investments, and improve equitable access to finance, including through better coordination of programming, addressing eligibility requirements, and streamlining processes.
Reducing emissions in transport sectors, including international shipping, is vital. The G7 can lead the way for an urgent and equitable transition in line with the Paris Agreement.
We welcome the UN Secretary General’s efforts to accelerate ambition, and look forward to working together at the September Climate Summit and beyond to achieve it. As members of the G7, we urge you to support this agenda and to be the ‘first movers’ that the Secretary General has called for.
We look forward to collaborating with you in 2023 and throughout this critical decade to chart a path to a future that is sustainable, safe, and livable for all. There is no time to waste.
Gabriel Boric
President
Chile
David Kabua
President
Republic of the Marshall Islands
Chris Hipkins
Prime Minister
New Zealand
Mark Rutte
Prime Minister
The Netherlands
Surangel Whipps Jr.
President
Republic of Palau
Philip J. Pierre
Prime Minister
Saint Lucia
Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau Mau'koro
Prime Minister
Vanuatu
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Contact: hac@highambitioncoalition.org