G7 puts focus on push for global fossil fuel phaseout deal

G7 puts focus on push for global fossil fuel phaseout deal

STRASBOURG/SAPPORO - A commitment from the Group of Seven wealthy countries to phase out fossil fuels faster has been welcomed as a potential step towards a global deal for all countries to do the same, but is facing criticism for not matching the pledge with firm action.

G7 countries' climate ministers on Sunday agreed - for the first time - to speed up their phaseout of the fossil fuel consumption causing climate change, although they did not set a firm date for doing this.

In a joint statement at their meeting in Sapporo, Japan, the ministers agreed "to accelerate the phase-out of unabated fossil fuels so as to achieve net zero in energy systems by 2050 at the latest".

"This is an important step forward, after the failure of COP27 on this point at the end of last year," said French Energy Transition Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher.

At last year's COP27 U.N. climate summit, countries failed to agree a deal on phasing down fossil fuel energy. A proposal by India to do this won support from more than 80 governments, but was opposed by Saudi Arabia and other oil- and gas-rich countries.

Some, including the 27-country European Union, are hoping to revive the idea ahead of