by New Delhi: The Delhi Declaration of the G20 managed to address the concerns of the so-called oil producing countries as it expressed its desire to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement by committing to zero global emissions by the middle of the century.
According to former climate negotiators, the key words behind this arrangement are “clean,” “no blood and low carbon” and “effective solutions.”
The G20 is committed to achieving zero global emissions within or around a century, while taking into account the latest scientific developments and adapting to different national contexts. They are also committed to triple by 2030, renewable energy worldwide through targets and policies, and to show the same ambitions with regard to other technologies with zero emissions and low emissions, including technologies to reduce and remove, also in accordance with the country’s conditions.
“You can see the influence of countries that are heavily dependent on oil and gas in the text. Their concerns have been addressed. Low carbon options may mean biofuels or green hydrogen for us or for others; it can mean cleaner gasoline or gas for others. We should also note that the announcement refers to nuclear power. There has been no focus on nuclear until now due to safety concerns. And there is a clear indication of improving carbon sequestration and conservation technology,” explained the former climate spokesman who asked not to be named.
The only reference to fossil fuels in the text is that the G20 “will increase efforts to implement the commitment made in 2009 in Pittsburgh to eliminate and adjust, in the medium term, inefficient fossil resources that encourage the use of waste and commit to achieve this goal, while providing targeted support to the poor and they are also vulnerable.”
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Fossil fuel reduction/phasing out was a major issue in many fossil fuel dependent countries. The text refers to coal mining.
It states that the G20 will accelerate the development, deployment and deployment of technologies, and the adoption of policies, to transition to low energy systems, including the rapid deployment of clean electricity generation, energy efficiency measures, including acceleration efforts. to phase out coal-fired power.
“From an energy and climate perspective, India’s G20 presidency had an ambitious agenda focused on emerging clean energy technologies and finance. But as it happens, this agenda was used again. What stands out now is clear and concise language about the tripling of renewable energy. This provides a platform for further clarification between the present and the COP (target, baseline, year etc). Moreover, if this enters the COP agenda, it becomes another link for countries to increase the ambition of their nationally determined contribution,” said Swati D’Souza, Lead Analyst and Coordinator, India, International Energy Agency.
“There is also too much talk about expensive, uncertain technology, which cannot be used as an excuse to delay action,” added Madhura Joshi, India Leader, E3G, a Climate think tank in a statement. “We need a strong movement of leaders on both sides. All eyes now on COP28 – can leaders deliver?”
There are clear announcements on the amount of climate finance and restructuring of multilateral development banks to make finance available for transition through concessional grants.
The announcement also calls for an ambitious replenishment program for the Green Climate Fund during its upcoming 2024-2027 program period. On the 2nd day of the G20 summit, the United Kingdom pledged to contribute a record 2 billion dollars to the Green Climate Fund to deal with climate change, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said.
There is also a lot of focus on increasing sustainable living practices and responsible consumption to reduce emissions.
“Based on the G20 High Level Principles on Sustainable Lifestyles, we are committed to collective action that will enable the world to adopt sustainable production and consumption patterns and Sustainable Lifestyles. A proper study of it shows that it can contribute to the reduction of many emissions by 2030 in a zero-zero future of the world. We support the creation of a policy environment that allows for the promotion of sustainable lifestyles for climate action,” the announcement said.
Together, this document captures the fact that the G20 has decided to reach the goal of zero emissions worldwide by the middle of the century but that will be achieved through a basket of measures and fossil fuels that can continue to exist even as the focus on renewable energy triples. capacity.
“The most important part of this announcement is the Environmental Development Agreement for a sustainable future, and I want to congratulate the Indian Presidency and the G20 for coming together on this. Why is this Agreement on Green Development (all climate and environmental solutions) important? This year we have seen climate-related disasters that have shaken many parts of the world, from North America to Europe and Asia, and 2023 is right at the center of the 2030 agenda to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) . We need to ensure that when we come out of the Covid pandemic, our way of development is now rooted in a green and cooperative way. That’s why the agreement is important,” said Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, Council for Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).
“A few important themes are relevant to this. One, is to focus on resource efficiency and the importance of sustainable use. This is emphasized by the importance of lifestyles for sustainable development, including the High Level Principles on Lifestyles for Sustainable Development. The second key component of the Green Development Agreement is the focus on a clean, sustainable, equitable, affordable, and inclusive energy transition,” he added.
“The lack of progress at the G20 on phasing out coal, oil, and gas casts a long shadow over the outcome of the COP28 conference in the UAE. Increasing renewable energy is not enough if we are still investing in the main cause of the climate crisis: fossil fuels. What we need now is from governments: a new Fossil Fuel Agreement that complements the Paris Agreement. As we approach the ambitious Climate Summit in a few days and COP28 later this year, let’s move from side-by-side discussions to a united debate. This conversation should focus on helping developing countries that depend on fossil fuels for energy, jobs, and income, while ensuring that rich countries take steps to reduce domestic ambitions. “The time has come for a new international framework focused on the global transition away from fossil fuels,” said Harjeet Singh, head of global political strategy at Climate Action Network International.
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