‘They can't transform the world’: Analysts find G20’s lack of action on climate and hunger disappointing

The Group of 20 leaders’ joint declaration at their annual summit was less-than-expected and “disappointing”, said an analyst on Tuesday (Nov 19).

The meeting among the world’s major economies in Brazil failed to raise fresh funds for a new global alliance against hunger and poverty, noted John Kirton, the director and founder of the G20 research group at the University of Toronto.

“I had expected that when the summit started, the leaders of the richest countries in the world would start to put more money into the pot, into their joint leaders’ declaration, but there was nothing there,” said the professor emeritus of political science.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva opened the two-day summit in Rio De Janeiro on Monday with the launch of the anti-hunger alliance - which is backed by more than 80 countries - following a year-long process. 

The collaborative initiative - also made up of international groupings, global financial institutions, and philanthropic and non-governmental organisations - aims to eradicate hunger and poverty and reduce inequalities by 2030.

While countries like the United States pledged funds for the new effort, this was not documented in the declaration, Prof Kirton pointed out.
 
“Without putting it down on paper, it can disappear into thin air. So that, I think, was the biggest disappointment,” he told CNA938’s Asia First.

“They can't transform the world, as they promised to do, without raising any new money for climate finance, for debt relief, for the poorest, to end hunger in the world by 2030 which they promised to do.”

He added that with US President Joe Biden having just two months left in office, it remains to be seen whether his commitment will be upheld by the incoming Donald Trump administration.

MISSING FOCUS ON CLIMATE CHANGE

The lack of attention to climate change at the summit was also “deeply disappointing”, Prof Kirton said.

The joint declaration by the leaders was put out even before they met face-to-face to discuss climate change, green finance, and renewable energy, he noted, adding that it was a “missed opportunity”.

He added the summit did not accomplish “what it had to do on the biggest issue of all - controlling the genuinely existential threat to all living things from climate change.”

This was despite G20 leaders agreeing the world needs to reach a deal on a new financial goal for how much money rich nations must provide to poorer, developing countries by Friday, when the United Nations-led COP29 climate change talks in Azerbaijan end. 

COP29 officials had called on the G20 leaders for a strong signal to help breach the impasse on climate finance.

The G20 leaders’ commitments to climate change and other issues will run up against the sharp policy changes that incoming US president Donald Trump has vowed to make upon taking office.

Political analyst Joe Siracusa said that while Trump is not an isolationist economically or militarily, he is a “non-interventionist” who does not want to get involved in the rest of the world.

The dean of global futures at Curtin University said nations are looking to see who will take the lead in “writing the cheque to clean up the mess” caused by climate change. 

“Donald Trump's not going to write that cheque,” he said. 

While campaigning for president, Trump called climate change “a big hoax”. Since being elected about two weeks ago, he has nominated Chris Wright, a prominent fracking magnate and outspoken climate change sceptic, to serve as energy secretary in his upcoming administration.

SHIFT IN ROLE OF G20 

Both observers noted that the economic grouping has expanded its remit to address geopolitical issues as well.

G20 leaders, in their joint statement, reached a narrow consensus on the escalating Ukraine war, focusing on "human suffering" and the economic fallout of the conflict. 

Their declaration also expressed "deep concern about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip," and called urgently for more aid and protection for civilians along with a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon.

“The biggest surprise was that it (the joint declaration), at the beginning, said so much about global peace and security, showing that the G20 had become, publicly, a global security governor,” said Prof Kirton. 

However, he noted that wording on Ukraine was vague, and that there was “no hint” that G20 leaders continued to think that Russia's acts against Ukraine were aggressions. 

This year’s meeting represents a shift from a bipolar to a multilateral world, said Prof Siracusa. 

“There are now many centres of influence. We have some of the Global South powers there, India, South Africa and Brazil, who are calling the tune, whereas some of the larger powers are sitting in the background, not doing much,” he said. 

The change is that nations now can choose to participate or ignore blocs like G20, he added.  

“If Donald Trump wants to ignore important organisations like the G20 and the G7 and the United Nations, the United States will become not a participant in the world, but a bystander,” he said.