The result of this year’s G20 summit was not a major step forward in solving the climate problem. However, the confrontation with President Trump ended not in a full clash, but rather in a diplomatic climate dance – taking one step back, one step to the side, and one step forward. This presents an opportunity to continue with a climate tango from a new starting point in Argentina in 2018.
The Chairs of the Energy and Climate Task Forces of the Think20, together with Business20 and Civil20, published a Joint Statement to support a sustainable energy transition. On the occasion of the meeting of the G20 Energy and Climate Sustainability Working Groups on 22 and 23 March in Berlin, the Engagement Groups call on the G20 to step up and adopt three main provisions: First, the G20 should take the lead in implementing the Paris Agreement. Second, the G20 should drive towards carbon pricing mechanisms and agree on a time line for phasing-out fossil fuel subsidies. Third, the G20 should enable financial markets to deliver on sustainable development.
The new U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to depart from the climate agenda of his predecessor Barack Obama and introduce a new energy policy. This expected policy shift, if realized, will deal a blow to the G20’s commitments on energy and climate. As a forum of 19 emerging and industrialized markets, plus the European Union, the G20 is responsible for 82% of global emissions related to the energy sector. The G20 countries thus have a key role to play in curtailing global emissions and implementing the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Just in time for the meeting of the G20 Agricultural Ministers on 22 January 2017 in Berlin the T20 Task Force “Towards Ending Hunger and Sustainable Agriculture” published its Policy Brief on Key Policy Actions for Sustainable Land and Water Use to Serve People.
Energy has a big part in at least four of the announced priorities of Germany’s G20 presidency; trade and investment, climate and energy, 2030 Agenda, and the proposed partnership with Africa. This blog post discusses how the summit process can maximise the G20’s effectiveness in the field of energy.