NEW DELHI: G20 leaders, convening in the Indian capital of New Delhi, concluded their summit on Saturday without committing to a phase-out of polluting fossil fuels, a move that the United Nations had deemed “indispensable” just a day prior to achieving a net-zero carbon emissions goal.
The G20 summit took place amid what is likely to be recorded as one of the hottest years in human history, underscoring the urgency of addressing climate change.
The UN’s first progress report on meeting the climate goals outlined in the Paris Agreement, released on Friday, stressed that achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 necessitates the phasing out of fossil fuels whose emissions cannot be captured, along with a significant increase in clean energy production.
According to the UN Global Stocktake report, “Scaling up renewable energy and phasing out all unabated fossil fuels are indispensable elements of just energy transitions to net-zero emissions.”
However, the G20 leaders’ statement fell short of explicitly endorsing the phase-out of all fossil fuels. Instead, it referred to “accelerating efforts towards the phasedown of unabated coal power, in line with national circumstances and recognizing the need for support towards just transitions.”
G20 Summit a Setback for Global Climate Action
While the G20 countries collectively account for 85 percent of global GDP and a similar proportion of global climate-warming emissions, the omission of a commitment to phase out fossil fuels is a significant setback for global climate action.
Recent research indicated that per capita coal emissions within the G20 have increased by 9 percent since 2015, primarily driven by countries like India, Indonesia, and China, despite some member nations’ efforts to transition to cleaner energy sources.
The G20 leaders’ statement did express support for tripling global renewable energy capacity by 2030 and emphasized the importance of advancing technologies and policies to transition to low-emission energy systems.
Additionally, the leaders acknowledged the urgency of addressing environmental crises, including climate change, and pledged to accelerate their actions accordingly.
The failure of wealthy nations to meet their commitment to provide $100 billion annually in climate finance to support poorer nations was also highlighted in the context of addressing global climate challenges.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva delivered a stark message during the summit, describing the planet’s situation as an “unprecedented climate emergency,” underscoring the critical need for immediate and coordinated action to combat climate change.
