The Group of 20 affluent countries are split on crucial decisions on switching from coal power and limiting global warming to the threshold of 1.5 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial levels, as they prepare for a major conference in Rome next week, sources familiar with the talks reported.
The need to reduce emissions will be on top of the G20 agenda when they meet in Rome on October 30th and 31st, which is considered as a crucial stepping stone ahead of the United Nations climate change conference, also known as COP 26, which will be held in Glasgow, Scotland.
Big polluters like China and India have dug in their heels so far, and no progress has been achieved since the G20 energy and environment ministers met in Naples in July, according to three individuals who spoke on condition of anonymity
One of them said that the countries were not changing but they were just making sure that their viewpoints were heard loud and clear.
He said that such obstinacy was to be expected at this point, and that any concessions would be improbable before the G20 climate sherpas meet face to face next Thursday and Friday, just before their leaders’ weekend conference.
Energy and environment ministers in Naples agreed that reducing global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius was desirable, but they did not promise a firm commitment to do so.
They also failed to establish a consensus on when fossil fuel subsidies would end, international funding of coal projects would stop and coal power would be phased out entirely, so they asked leaders to fill in the gaps at the upcoming Rome summit.
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