(Rome) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Sunday that he would have liked this weekend’s G20 meeting in Rome to result in a more ambitious agreement on the fight against climate change, ahead of the Conference of Nations United Nations on the Climate (COP26).
“There is no doubt that Canada and a number of other countries would have liked stronger language and commitments in the fight against climate change,” he agreed during his closing press conference.
“These are the kinds of things that Canada will continue to press, along with all of our colleagues. ”
He said, however, that the meeting still made it possible to make “significant progress”, as members of the Group of 20 recognized that countries must aim to keep global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above average. pre-industrial and phase out the use of coal and methane.
In its final communiqué, the Group of 20 pledged to stop financing new coal factories abroad, without attacking national production and without giving a timetable for the complete exit of this industry. The deadline for achieving carbon neutrality has been set at “half of the century”, which, for some countries, can extend until 2060. Among other things, China plans a constant increase in its emissions until the end of the century. ‘in 2030.
A draft version of the press release called for abandoning coal by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050, which was ultimately scrapped.
Trudeau said on Sunday that the G20 must act with a sense of “urgency” to deal with the growing threat of the climate crisis. “Climate change cannot be denied,” he posted on Twitter, “and climate action cannot be delayed. By working with our partners, we must tackle this global crisis with urgency and ambition. ”
The Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, also left the summit with “unfulfilled hopes”. He said he is now turning to COP26.
Most of the G20 leaders, including Mr. Trudeau, will travel to Glasgow directly from Rome for two days of negotiations to finish drawing up rules on how the Paris agreement will measure progress and manage the markets. trading in carbon emission rights.
The United Nations this week reiterated its warnings that with the current policies promised by the parties to the Paris climate agreement, the Earth will still warm by more than 2.7 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. .
Noticed absences
Trudeau said the fact that G20 leaders were able to meet in person for the first time in 18 months to address the issue was progress in itself.
However, Chinese President Xi Jinping was not at the negotiating table, choosing to send his foreign minister, Wang Yi, there.
Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Saturday that Xi’s absence was not ideal. “The G20, of course, is most effective when all the G20 leaders are at the table,” she explained. Having said that, I think we also need to recognize that the fight against COVID is not over yet and that different countries will be making different decisions regarding international travel. ”
PHOTO ALESSANDRA TARANTINO, ASSOCIATED PRESSFVON
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said the G20 is most effective when all leaders are present, but blamed their absences on their reluctance to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Xi was one of five G20 leaders who did not make the trip. The leaders of Russia, Mexico, Brazil and Japan also sent representatives and participated themselves only virtually.
But China’s prominence in the G20 end-of-coal energy negotiations made Xi’s absence potentially the most embarrassing. He will also not attend the summit of COP26, which began in Glasgow on Sunday.
China, which is the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases on the planet, is still very dependent on coal for electricity, as is India.
The G20 is not only responsible for 80% of global economic output, it also produces around 80% of greenhouse gas emissions.