Analysts and campaigners welcomed the final text from the leaders of the Group of 20 nations meeting in Bali that stated that the rich nations “will play our part in fully implementing” the Glasgow Climate Pact, which keeps alive the goal of capping global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius.
“We resolve to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. This will require meaningful and effective actions and commitment by all countries,” the final communique read.
Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and continued United States – China tensions were feared to threaten the outcomes of this year’s G20 meeting but it urged delegates of the climate summit in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh to scale up adaptation and mitigation efforts, and called on parties to make progress on the contentious issue of loss and damage at COP27.
The text also encouraged wealthy economies to fulfill their climate obligations, and provide financial and technical assistance to vulnerable countries.
The Bali declaration recognized the need to speed up efforts to phase down the use of coal and reiterated a commitment to phase out “inefficient” fossil fuel subsidies. G20 economies – composed of the world’s biggest emitters – also pledged to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy resources.
However, despite seemingly saying the right things, critics pointed out that the groups commitment to achieving global net zero emissions did not prohibit false solutions like carbon capture, utilization and storage, and fossil gas. It was also blasted for being long and rhetoric and short on instruction, especially as the global community is still lagging far behind when it comes to achieving the 1.5C target.
The question now is if the G20 will do what they have committed, make the necessary deep cuts in emissions and stop subsidizing fossil fuels, because humanity and the planet is running out of time and we need the Earth’s richest countries and biggest emitters to take the lead in this gargantuan effort to prevent an incoming global disaster.*
