The G7 Summit of the world's richest countries was held last weekend, May 19 to 21 in Hiroshima, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida's hometown. He chose Hiroshima as the Summit location because of his view that Hiroshima is "the most fitting location to express Japan’s commitment to peace." While G7 host Japan built up hope for progress on peace, especially related to Ukraine, the fact is that many were disappointed with backsliding in G7 final commitments. This is true in general on climate, and also peace in Ukraine, as the G7 still has not backed a full, transparent and enforceable embargo of russian fossil fuel exports, which is an absolute necessity to dry up funding of putin's war machine, and bring peace.

Let's examine what G7 leaders have done on these key issues:

Fossil fuels:
In 2022 leaders of the G7 created priorities under the so-called “G7 Climate and Environment Track” with the goal of accelerating the global phase-out of coal and forced decarbonisation of sectors. Moreover, they agreed to an oil price cap to reduce Russia's revenues, while keeping global energy markets stable. 

In the 2023 G7 leader’s statement at their summit in Japan's Hiroshima they decided to include gas investments again, with the G7 saying it was "necessary to accelerate the phase-out of our dependency on Russian energy". "We stress the important role that increased deliveries of LNG (liquefied natural gas) can play, and acknowledge that investment in the sector can be appropriate in response to the current crisis and to address potential gas market shortfalls provoked by the crisis," the statement said.

Nuclear energy: 
G7 countries commit, domestically as well as in partner countries, to supporting the development and construction of nuclear reactors, such as small modular and other advanced reactors with advanced safety systems, building robust and resilient nuclear supply chains including nuclear fuel, and maintaining and strengthening nuclear technology and human resources. This is rather odd, given that Japan is the nation that has most recently suffered a massive nuclear catastrophe, and also that other G7 nations have avoided restarting a dangerous, costly and accident-prone nuclear build-out for years.

Renewables: 
The G7 contributes to expanding renewable energy globally and bringing down costs by strengthening capacity including through a collective increase in offshore wind capacity of 150GW by 2030 based on each country’s existing targets and a collective increase of solar PV to more than 1TW by 2030 estimated by the IEA and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), through means such as each country’s existing targets or policy measures. We recognize that low-carbon and renewable hydrogen and its derivatives such as ammonia should be developed and used, if this can be aligned with a 1.5 °C pathway. 

Adoption of a Clean Energy Economy Action Plan
Among other things, leaders agreed to promote research, wide use, import and export of clean energy technologies and products and underline the important role of start-ups and small and medium enterprises to contribute to innovation and technologies for net-zero, and look forward to the G7’s collaboration with ambitious start-ups globally. Moreover, it is planned to promote trade and investment in goods and services, including critical minerals that promote the reduction of greenhouse gases to help meet our climate objectives and mobilize additional capital for clean energy technologies 

In addition to these topics, there was still much that Razom We Stand wanted to see last weekend that was not done. Here are key demands for follow-up after the G7 Summit, that G7 nations must act on in the immediate future, regarding the need for them to lead on phasing out fossil fuels, and implementing a full, transparent and enforced embargo of russian fossil fuels:

• The climate crisis, and the world, need the G7 to act as climate leaders, and not backslide on stated climate goals and climate finance commitments and stop expansion of fossil gas infrastructure, especially russian LNG.
• We demand that all G7 nations immediately cease participation in joint ventures with russia, particularly in Arctic LNG-2 and Sakhalin-2 LNG projects, as they compromise Japan and the G7's commitments to protect peace and climate. This includes the immediate cessation of imports of all russian fossil fuels, including LNG and oil, and the termination of all business operations in russia by Japanese companies. 
• Protection of peace and climate requires international action to stop russia's Arctic LNG-2 project, including sanctions against Chinese companies participating in the project. 
• We urge G7 nations to lead the transition towards clean energy by investing in cheaper and cleaner renewable energy sources and upholding the commitments taken under Glasgow Statement on International Public Support for the Clean Energy Transition, that was issued at COP26, and shifting public finance away from gas and coal to clean energy.
• We kindly ask the G7 to provide investment in renewable energy infrastructure for the restoration of Ukraine's energy sector following the principles of decentralization and transition to renewable energy sources, avoiding investments in new fossil fuel infrastructure and stopping the expansion of climate disrupting gas projects;
• We also critically need equipment for distributed energy resources as emergency aid for Ukraine, as called for by Ukrainian municipalities and civil society. This will help to establish reliable electricity supply for critical infrastructure facilities in 2023, promote sustainable and climate-neutral technologies, and facilitate broader participation in energy transition among municipalities, communities, businesses, and citizens.