The G7 summit began in the 1970s in response to the oil crisis. Fossil energies are also the focus of this year’s meeting – and how one can “get away from it in the long term”, explains Chancellor Scholz. In order to find common solutions, he wants to set up a “climate club”.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to work with partners in the G7 countries to find solutions to the energy crisis and rising inflation. “Many things that we buy have become more expensive. Food, but especially the price of energy. We notice that at the gas station, we notice that when we have to pay the heating bill. Heating oil, gas, everything is much more expensive than before one year. That’s why we have to prepare for it,” said Scholz in his video message “Kanzler compact”.
Germany must agree with others what needs to be done. “Because we will only be able to cope with the challenges this new situation presents to all of us together. Politically, we want to discuss all of this internationally,” said Scholz, who referred to the meeting of the G7 countries in Elmau in Bavaria.
“This discussion club started as a G6 with six countries, when Helmut Schmidt called everyone together to talk about how we were going to deal with the oil crisis at the time,” said Scholz. Now it’s about the current crisis and stopping man-made climate change “by getting away from the use of fossil fuels in the long term.” One task is to bring about a “climate club” in which the states that want to achieve this work together. The G7 currently includes Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, the USA, Canada and Japan.
In his video message, the Chancellor also dampened expectations of the meeting. Although Elmau Castle is in the mountains, “we will certainly not move mountains there,” he emphasized. Nevertheless, the heads of state and government could “make important decisions and prepare things that will be useful for all of us if we act as one and are determined.”
