The G8 Summit, from the PM

I have just returned from three days in Italy attending a successful G8 Summit and wanted to update you on some of the historic agreements we reached.

First, however, I must say how moved I was by the decision to hold the G8 in L'Aquila to show solidarity with the population of the region, which as you'll remember was severely hit by an earthquake in April.

At the summit, we discussed many issues, including the interrelated challenges of the economic crisis, poverty and climate change.

Our major breakthrough was agreement for the first time to cap global temperature rises by 2°C and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050.

This important deal, agreed on the first day, paves the way for a wider global agreement at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen in December.

Britain and the other major developed nations also pledged £12 billion for efforts to boost food supplies in the face of a looming hunger emergency.

The investment will fund a three-year initiative to help poorer nations develop their own agriculture, enabling them to become self-sufficient.

As President Obama said, the purpose of aid must be to create the conditions where it's no longer needed.

We have also agreed to a call from President Obama to hold talks in Washington next spring which could lead to countries reducing their nuclear arsenals.

Only collective action like this can increase the pressure on those states determined to develop nuclear weapons, such as Iran and North Korea.

As well as attending the main sessions at the summit, I also met with many important world leaders, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon where we discussed the situation in Burma.

I hope you'll agree that these results prove that the world's major economies can make real achievements for everyone when we come together.

Gordon Brown