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Several countries, led by Saudi Arabia, have blocked a move by G20 nations to cut fossil fuel use, the latest sign of global tensions over the future role of oil, gas and coal as the world grapples with climate change.
The G20 countries released the summary document on Saturday after several days of intensive discussions hosted by India in Goa. It said some member states had highlighted the need to reduce the use of fossil fuels without capturing emissions “in accordance with different national conditions”. But others “had other views on the matter.”
Instead, these countries want to focus on developing technologies to capture greenhouse gas emissions.
Several people familiar with the negotiations said Saudi Arabia was prominent in the push against phasing out fossil fuels and was supported by several other countries.
In past negotiations, Russia and China have consistently opposed the move, scuppering a pact at a UN climate summit in Egypt late last year.
The G7 states have already agreed accelerate the phase-out of fossil fuels.
Saturday’s gathering also failed to make progress on setting a global target for renewable energy development.
The standoff occurs as countries around the world suffer from extreme weather, including extreme heat and flooding.
The EU is a leading supporter of efforts to transition away from the burning of fossil fuels, which account for about three quarters of all greenhouse gas emissions.
Alden Meyer, senior associate at consultancy E3G, said the G20 meeting had “exposed sharp divisions” “on the need for a fair, rapid and equitable transition away from fossil fuels”.
“With record temperatures being set daily around the world and the effects of climate change spiraling out of control, the world needed to hear a clarion call to action,” he said. “Instead we got very weak tea.
At the end of the meeting, RK Singh, India’s power minister, acknowledged that cutting fossil fuel production was a “sticky point” in the discussions. He said the greater part of the G20 was in favor and it was a “great conference”.
India has pledged to be net zero by 2070, while China has set a goal of being “carbon neutral” by 2060.
A report prepared for India’s G20 presidency estimated the cost of the energy transition at $4 trillion annually globally and highlighted the need for finance for developing countries; this has become a key demand of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The failure to reach an agreement is likely to increase pressure on the UAE to step up its discussions with ministers and leaders. It will host COP28 in December.
Earlier this month, Sultan al-Jaber, the president-designate of COP28, presented his vision for a climate summit with a strong focus on climate finance for poor countries to help them cope with the consequences of global warming, as well as the rapid expansion of renewable energy.
It also set a “mid-century” target for reducing the use of fossil fuels produced without capturing their emissions. He previously said that reducing fossil fuel consumption was “inevitable”.
Global emissions need to be cut by 43 percent by 2030 to stop temperatures rising above 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, a threshold at which scientists have warned of potentially irreversible changes to the planet and devastating consequences for citizens, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says.
However, according to the United Nations Environment Programme, the world is on track for a temperature increase of 2.4 to 2.6°C by 2100. Temperatures have already risen by at least 1.1C.
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