At the Gleneagles Summit in July 2005, the G8 under the UK presidency, started a fresh initiative to take urgent action to meet the challenges of climate change. The G8 were joined in that initiative by leaders of Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and South Africa, as well as by the heads of the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United Nations (UN), the World Bank, and the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

In a joint statement, the Heads of State and Heads of Government set out the common purpose in tackling climate change, promoting clean energy and achieving sustainable development. In the statement, the areas of further action are defined, and a global dialogue on climate change, clean energy and sustainable development is announced, the results of which shall be reported to the G8 during the Japanese presidency in 2008. The IEA and the World Bank are given specific tasks, and the consistency with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is assured.

More concretely, the leaders agreed to the Gleneagles Plan of Action. The leaders will take forward action towards transforming the way we use energy, powering a cleaner future, promoting research and development, financing the transition to cleaner energy, managing the impact of climate change, and tackling illegal logging. Renewable energy receives special attention within the area of powering a cleaner future. Paragraph 16 of the Gleneagles Plan of Action highlights the initiative started in Bonn 2004:

"We will promote the continued development and commercialisation of renewable energy by: (a) promoting the International Action Programme of the Renewables 2004 conference in Bonn, starting with a Conference at the end of 2005, hosted by the Chinese government, and supporting the goals of the Renewable Energy Policy Network (REN 21)…"

With respect to electricity grids, the G8 give special attention to integrating renewable energy sources, pledging to "work with the IEA to (a) draw together research into the challenges of integrating renewable energy sources into networks and optimising the efficiency of grids".

During the Russian Presidency in 2006, the focus of the G8 with respect to energy turned to energy security. During the St Petersburg Summit in July 2006, the G8 leaders agreed to the St. Petersburg Plan of Action on Global Energy Security. In this plan of action, renewable energy is recognised as one of the key ingredients of a more secure energy mix.

The Heiligendamm Summit in 2007 during the German Presidency made climate change, energy efficiency and energy security a major subject, and reached what many consider a breakthrough. The Chair's summary states: "In setting a global goal for emissions reductions in the process we have agreed in Heiligendamm involving all major emitters, we will consider seriously the decisions made by the European Union, Canada and Japan which include at least a halving of global emissions by 2050." Also, the Heads of G8 States with the counterparts from the plus 5 countries declared their firm committment to work for solutions in the UNFCCC. In the latter declaration, a special section on energy cooperation was included, in which renewable energy is specified. Under the heading of "fighting climate change", the wider term 'technology' is used.

Taking up the Global Dialogue on Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development (Gleneagles Dialogue), the UK with other partners has organised two ministerial meetings - in London in November 2005 and in Mexico City in October 2006.

At the second ministerial meeting (Chair's Summary), the representatives from the G8 and from Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, and Spain, joined by senior officials from organisations including the World Bank, Regional Development Banks, the UNFCCC, the IEA, and the World Economic Forum (WEF) business group, as well as legislators from the Globe organisation discussed

• economics of actions to tackle climate change and politics of climate change,
• new approaches to research, development and deployment of low carbon and adaptation technologies, on the basis of a quantitative framework for greenhouse gas emissions and technology options based on a new 2050 scenario by the IEA
• investment and financing requirements and instruments to deal with development needs and climate change, based on presentations from Worldbank of the Investment Framework.

The importance of advancing the process in the general UNFCCC framework was underlined (see also the proposal made by REN21 Chair Mohamed El-Ashry). The Global Leadership for Climate Action developed a proposal for a Framework for a Post-2012 Agreement on Climate Change which received very favourable recognition by several participants in the Gleneagles Dialogue.

In support of the Dialogue and following the request from Gleneagles, the IEA has in 2006 published two sets of scenarios based on different assumptions and time frames. In World Energy Outlook 2006, the IEA describes different energy 'futures' evolving until 2030 from today's situation, whereas Energy Technology Perspectives explores technical possibilities for a more sustainable energy path and shows how energy-related CO2 emissions could be taken back to their current levels by 2050.

Asked by the G8 and under mandate of its Development Committee, the World Bank is developing a framework to accelerate worldwide investment in clean energy, entitled Clean Energy and Development: Towards an Investment Framework (CEDIF). The World Bank highlights the key role of policies in bringing about the necessary change and creating the conditions for investment.

On request by the UK government, a team within the UK Treasury under the leadership of Sir Nicholas Stern has studied the economics of climate change, in particular the cost of action and the cost of non-action. The Stern Review - presented ahead of the COP12 climate conference in Narobi in November 2006 - received great attention also beyond the community habitually concerned about climate change.

Under the German Presidency in 2007, the 3rd Ministerial Meeting of the Gleneagles Dialogue was organised in Berlin in September 2007. Together with other institutions, REN21 was invited to present the Renewable Energy Potentials in the countries participating in the Dialogue. The conclusions of the Chair include the recommendation that REN21 should continue the work on the Renewable Energy Potentials in collaboration with the Dialogue countries.

During the Japanese Presidency in 2008, the Gleneagles Dialogue will be brought to a close with a 4th Ministerial Meeting in March 2008.

For reference to earlier efforts to include Renewables into the G8 process, see also the 2001 G8 Renewable Energy Task Force Chairmen's Report.