COP29: Draft G20 communique skips referring to transition away from fossil fuels

Baku: The G20 leaders, whose nations represent 80% of global emissions, drew flak from observers at COP29 in Baku on Tuesday as their communique, a draft of which was circulating on Tuesday morning, failed to raise the climate ambition.

The draft G20 leaders’ communique focuses on the 2 degree C goal (upper limit of Paris Agreement) and doesn’t mention “transitioning away from fossil fuels” language agreed upon at CO28 in UAE. It does mention the need for scaling up public and private climate finance and investment for developing countries and a successful New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) outcome in Baku.

“World leaders at the G20 Summit displayed a stark failure in leadership, neglecting to reaffirm their commitment to transitioning away from fossil fuels—a critical pivot for global climate action. Their rehashed rhetoric offers no solace for the fraught COP29 negotiations, where we continue to see a deadlock on climate finance,” said Harjeet Singh, climate activist and global engagement director for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative.

“The developed nations remain unmoved, failing to quantify the trillions needed or to ensure these funds are provided as grants—essential for achieving climate justice. Without decisive progress on finance at COP29, we are steering towards a catastrophic temperature scenario, where the most vulnerable will bear the gravest consequences,” he added.

“Silence on a new climate finance goal and refusal to address a fossil fuel phase-out are unacceptable from the world’s largest economies and highest emitters. As uncertainty grows at COP29, the moment demands political leadership - not passive repetition of past agreements,” said the Climate Action Network in a statement.

ON PARIS GOALS

The G20 states: “We reaffirm the Paris Agreement temperature goal of holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change. We underscore that the impacts of climate change will be much lower at the temperature increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius compared with 2 degrees Celsius and reiterate our resolve to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.”

ON NET ZERO

It says, “Mindful of our leadership role, we reaffirm our steadfast commitments, in pursuit of the objective of UNFCCC, to tackle climate change by strengthening the full and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement, reflecting equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of different national circumstances. We reiterate our commitment and will intensify our efforts to achieve global net zero greenhouse gas emissions/carbon neutrality by or around mid-century.”

ON CLIMATE FINANCE

The G20 said it underscores the need for increased international collaboration and support, including with a view to scaling up public and private climate finance and investment for developing countries, accelerating broadly accessible technological innovation, enhancing resilience and low-greenhouse-gas emissions pathways, and supporting ambitious green industrial planning and strategies. It reiterates the New Delhi Leaders Declaration recognition of the need for rapidly and substantially scaling up climate finance from billions to trillions from all sources.

ON BAKU OUTCOME

“We look forward to a successful New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) outcome in Baku. We pledge our support to the COP29 Presidency and commit to successful negotiations in Baku. We also pledge our support to the COP30 Presidency, in 2025,” the G20 draft communique has said.