[Title] Joint Statement by G8 Energy Ministers

Energy Ministers of the G8 met in Aomori, Japan on 8 June 2008, in conjunction with the Energy Ministers' Meeting of G8, the People's Republic of China, India and the Republic of Korea. We welcome its joint statement. The G8 Energy Ministers extend the following additional messages to contribute to fruitful discussion in the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit.

St. Petersburg Energy Security Principles

1. The G8 countries have discussed their progress in adhering to the 2006 St. Petersburg Energy Security Principles and welcome the International Energy Agency's (IEA) general comments on the national reports. The final national reports as well as the final IEA Assessment Report will be submitted to the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit in July 2008. We recommend that our national reports be made public.

2. We believe that the St. Petersburg Energy Security Initiatives and the principles laid out in the Initiative are relevant not only for G8 countries but also for all other countries. We invite others to embrace these principles.

Energy Security and Climate Change

3. We have engaged the People's Republic of China, India and the Republic of Korea in discussions on addressing energy security, climate change and economic growth throughout the preparations for the Energy Ministers' Meeting of the G8 and the aforementioned three countries.

4. Promotion of energy efficiency in both energy supply and demand chains in a cost-effective manner is a necessary prerequisite for addressing energy security and climate change while supporting economic growth. We particularly appreciate the IEA's 25 recommendations (see Annex) for promoting energy efficiency. We will set national goals/objectives and formulate country-specific action plans, in which we will maximize implementation of the recommendations, and publicly report on their progress. We invite all countries, particularly the major economies, to positively consider these recommendations and implement those that are relevant to their respective national circumstances.

5. Building on its response to the Gleneagles Plan of Action we strongly encourage the IEA to intensify their efforts on energy indicators. We will share with the IEA the appropriate data.

6. We stress the critical role of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) in tackling the global challenges of climate change and energy security. We will collectively support the recommendations developed by the IEA and the Carbon Sequestration Leaders Forum (CSLF) in response to the Gleneagles Plan of Action. We strongly support the recommendation that 20 large-scale CCS demonstration projects need to be launched globally by 2010, taking into account varying national circumstances with a view to supporting technology development and cost reduction for the beginning of broad deployment of CCS by 2020.

7. We will, in cooperation with the international financial institutions, foster international action to partner, financially support, build capacity and share information to accelerate large scale integrated CCS demonstration projects and deployment in developed and developing countries.

8. We look forward to the IEA/CSLF assessment in 2010 of the implementation of their recommendations, as well as their assessment of progress towards accelerated deployment and commercialization of carbon capture and storage.

9. We will encourage initiatives contributing to climate change mitigation including green purchasing and green investment.

10. We will continue to foster dialogue between the Energy Ministers of the G8 and other economies.

11. We welcome the initiative of the forthcoming Italian Presidency of the G8 to convene an Energy Ministers' Meeting in 2009.