Delegates from the world’s 20 largest economies ended their meeting without making any significant progress ahead of the next UN climate conference, COP 28, which will take place in Dubai at the end of the year. The talks also failed in their attempt to promote greater use of renewable energy.
The French Minister of Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu, expressed his disappointment at the lack of agreement on a drastic increase in the use of renewable energies and the reduction of fossil fuels, especially coal. A consensus could not be reached to limit emissions for 2025, despite the rising temperatures, catastrophes, and gigantic fires that show the severity of the climate crisis.
Talks with China, Saudi Arabia, and Russia proved difficult, with some oil-producing countries such as Russia and Saudi Arabia being blamed for little progress. Although everyone recognized the seriousness of the crisis, the priority of national interests was evident over a firm commitment to fossil fuels.
The meeting was also attended by the COP28 president and head of the United Arab Emirates’ main oil and gas production consortium, drawing criticism due to potential conflicts of interest as burning fossil fuels contributes to global warming.
The severity of recent climate disasters, such as the fires in Greece and the heat wave in Italy, was warned about by the European Union Commissioner for the Environment. However, the G20 was polarized over issues such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and deep divisions between rich and developing countries over funding for the ecological transition.
Countries like India argued that nations historically responsible for the highest emissions should contribute more to global mitigation efforts than poorer economies. In contrast, energy-producing countries were resistant to more ambitious commitments due to concerns about the impact on their economies.