The World Briefly
July 24, 2023Fiddling and Burning
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The Group of 20 (G20) nations failed to agree on a deal to reduce the use of fossil fuels, the latest sign of global tensions over the role of oil, gas, and coal as the world deals with the effects of climate change, the Financial Times reported Saturday.
The G20 released a summary document following a weekend meeting in Goa, India, saying that some countries supported the need to cut back the use of fossil fuels without the capture of emissions “in line with different national circumstances.”
It added, however, that a group of nations “had different views on the matter” and instead wanted to focus on the development of technology to capture greenhouse gas emissions.
People familiar with the meeting noted that Saudi Arabia and some countries expressed resistance to phasing out fossil fuels.
The summary also said G20 countries did not make any progress on establishing a global goal for renewable energy development.
Saturday’s deadlock comes as countries are experiencing extreme weather events, including severe heatwaves and flooding.
Analysts explained that the impasse underscores the sharp divisions between nations and could put pressure on world leaders at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP28, scheduled to take place in the United Arab Emirates in December.
According to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, global emissions must be reduced by 43 percent by 2030 to prevent temperatures from rising above 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, above pre-industrial levels.
Beyond this threshold, scientists predict irreversible changes to the planet and devastating consequences for populations. Still, the UN Environment Programme suggested the world is on track for a temperature rise of between 4.3 and 4.7 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100, with temperatures having already increased by around two degrees Fahrenheit.
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