It was more of a sausage war than a BBQ dinner last night for the G-7 leaders: Emmanuel Macron was baited by Boris Johnson and the pair traded Brexit barbs, including, bizarrely, over the transport of sausages.
Today the meaty discussion is around climate change.
Aside from the possibility that G-7 leaders will call for a new independent investigation into the origins of the novel coronavirus, the big news event of the day is likely to be President Joe Biden’s audience with Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle, after which the scene-stealing FLOTUS will head back to the U.S.
perspective, the move is politically explosive: guaranteed to annoy opponents of carbon pricing in Congress almost as much as it will ramp up tensions with China, India and other emerging economies.
Presidential and G-7 words still matter, of course — but if you listen to scientific input, there really isn’t time for more words without action.
Mathiesen: So far in this morning’s talks, G-7 countries have been unable to come to terms on a time frame to end their use of coal for electrical power, an EU official said.
Trump spent fours years attacking them on Twitter, accusing their countries of mooching off the United States and pulling out of international agreements.
Ryan, the question should be, which leader other than Joe Biden is having the best summit? It’s not fair to put the others up against the guy being hailed as the savior of global cooperation and the multilateral rules-based order.
There’s no mobile PCR testing facility for required tests, no food at the media center and journalists have been parked an hour’s drive away from where leaders are meeting.
Lessons learned from G-7: don’t have a global summit in Cornwall and don’t have one during a pandemic.
should take on China, meaning the final position on China will be one of the most closely scrutinized parts of the G-7 communiqué.
Heath: The Biden administration’s framing is that they’re pleased with “convergence” among G-7 members on issues of strategic importance — “both in terms of the direction of convergence and also the speed with which it’s happening,” according to a senior administration official.
All seven countries are developed democracies whose GDP makes up nearly half of the global economy and they aren’t going to be eager to change that.
Heath: If G-7 is to become G-10 it will need a champion to push hard for it.
But what I think has been solidified at this summit is the sense that the G-7 is a democratic values-driven club.