G-20 nations agree to accelerate climate action, but fail to reach agreement on target

ROME – Leaders of the Group of 20 major economies agreed to accelerate plans to tackle climate change, but failed to meet ambitious targets to curb emissions, over the next two weeks, during a meeting on Sunday The UN-sponsored climate summit foreshadowed difficult negotiations.

During a two-day meeting in Rome, G-20 countries, which include the US, India and China, struggled to find a consensus on how best to adhere to the 2015 Paris climate agreement, which mandates countries to reduce their emissions. calls to do. As much as possible and get a climate-neutral world by mid-century. G-20 economies account for about 75% of global emissions. Their summit in Rome is part of the United Nations climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, known as COP26, which begins on Sunday evening.

According to a copy of the leaders’ final joint communiqué, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which aims to “reduce global warming to below 2, preferably 1.5 °C, compared to pre-industrial levels.” limiting”.

Diplomats agreed on a final text that the 1.5 degree target should be kept “within reach” and that nations would commit to taking further action on climate change this decade, according to the release. However, the final release did not include many measures to achieve this goal.

The G-20 includes some of the world’s biggest polluters and fossil-fuel producers and countries with unequal levels of economic development, making consensus difficult to reach. The final release does not include any new commitments to domestically eliminate coal use or fossil-fuel subsidies.

However, the G20 leaders agreed to halt public funding of coal power plants built overseas. The G20 countries also pledged for the first time to “significantly reduce G20 methane emissions”, the release said.

“The fight against climate change is the defining challenge of our times,” Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who chaired the G20 meeting in Rome, said on Sunday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his second video address to the G20 on Sunday that developed countries should fulfill their promise to provide climate finance to developing countries.

In a veiled criticism of Western nations, Mr. Xi used his first address on Saturday to emphasize the importance of words-matching actions on issues such as climate, Covid-19 vaccines and trade. “Credibility is the foundation of interaction with the world,” he said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose government is hosting the COP26 summit, said on Saturday that it currently looks unlikely that the 1.5°C target will be met. UN climate experts say global warming needs to be limited to that level to avoid major environmental catastrophes.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters on Friday, “Current national climate plans, however, “still condemn the world’s rise to 2.7 degrees.” Mr Guterres previously called carbon neutrality by 2050 “the world’s most urgent mission.” ” Said.

China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, is targeting net-zero emissions in 2060. India and Russia also haven’t committed to a mid-century deadline. The final G-20 release said members of the group would strive to achieve carbon neutrality “by or around mid-century”.

Adding to the tensions between the G-20, rich nations have so far failed to meet a pledge to give $100 billion a year to help developing countries move away from fossil fuels and mitigate the effects of climate change . Currently, the $100 billion target will only be met in 2023 and not 2020 as has been pledged, UK officials hosting COP26 said recently. According to the release, the G20 leaders said that they will achieve this target at the earliest.

Diplomacy in Rome has been hampered by the fact that not all world leaders attend the summit in person. Mr. Xi, who has not left his country for 21 months, has participated in the G20 via video link. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also not present.

Aside from the climate issue, the G-20 has been a largely conciliatory affair, with leaders trying to put aside geopolitical disputes as their economies emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Saturday, the leaders supported the goal of immunizing at least 40% of the world’s population against COVID-19 by the end of 2021 and at least 70% by the end of 2022. Currently, about 38.5% of the world’s population is fully vaccinated, according to the data in Our World.

Meanwhile, the US and the European Union reached an agreement to reduce US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports imposed under the Trump administration. The G-20 leaders also gave their seal of approval to an agreement to set a minimum global corporate tax rate.

Separately, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Sunday morning amid tensions over issues such as Taiwan, human rights and trade.

A senior State Department official described the hour-long meeting as “constructive, productive and exceptionally candid.” Open communication lines at the senior level to manage the competitive and contentious relations of the two countries.

The official said the meeting also served as preparation for the upcoming virtual summit between President Biden and Mr. Xi later this year.

This was the first one-on-one session between M/s Blinken and Wang since their acrimonious meeting in Alaska in March. This time, video footage from Chinese media showed the two men touching each other’s shoulders as they bid farewell.

Last Tuesday, Mr Blinken called Taiwan “a democratic success story” and said the self-governing island should be allowed greater participation in UN agencies. On Sunday, Mr Wang called Taiwan the “most sensitive issue” between China and the US. According to a readout provided by Chinese media, Mr Blinken was urged to follow a “real One China policy” as opposed to a “fake One China policy”.

President Biden also met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the early hours of Sunday. In recent years, US-Turkish relations have sparked conflicts of interest in the war in Syria, human rights issues within Turkey, and Ankara’s purchase of Russian weapons systems.

The US last year imposed sanctions on Turkey for buying S-400 missile systems, expelling Ankara from the advanced F-35 jet fighter program. Ankara has complained about payments made before the expulsion, with Mr Erdogan saying the US has offered F-16 jet fighters to resolve the issue.

According to the White House, Mr Biden on Sunday “reaffirmed our defense partnership and the importance of Turkey as a NATO ally, but noted US concerns over Turkey’s capture of the Russian S-400 missile system.” He also stressed the importance of a “strong democrat”. institutions, respect for human rights, and the rule of law for peace and prosperity.”