How to make the London Summit a success

Three British participants at last month's annual meeting in Odawara of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group, set up in 1985 to foster Japan-UK cooperation, discuss the agenda for the London Summit and what they expect it to achieve.

Avoiding the blame game

Bill Emmott, former Editor of the Economist and now an independent consultant, says the Summit countries must acknowledge that they face a shared problem and not try to blame each other. The Summit must focus on finding practical solutions, for example to strengthen the International Monetary Fund so it can help countries in trouble. It should also launch a real push against protectionism with a binding agreement not to raise trade barriers.

A climate change opportunity

Dr Jon Gibbons, Senior Lecturer in Energy Technology for the Sustainable Development Group in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Imperial College in London, says the London Summit offers a big opportunity to tackle climate change. Countries responsible for more than 80 per cent of carbon emissions will be attending, and should be encouraged to direct their fiscal stimulus packages into carbon-reduction technologies.

It is the chemistry that will matter

Philip Stephens, an Associate Editor of the Financial Times, says that the new US administration and the presence of 20-odd different countries means the London Summit should not be judged on the details of the communiqué but by the relationships established. It is the political chemistry between the leaders of the major countries that will matter, not whether they reach agreement on a detailed blueprint.