Not a single G20 country has policies in place that are consistent with the Paris agreement’s goal of limiting global heating to 1.5C and meeting their “fair share” of emissions reduction. The assessment, based on data up to 5 December provided by the Climate Action Tracker, comes as leaders gather in Dubai for the Cop28 conference. It assesses each country against its “fair share” contribution to the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, taking into account considerations such as the historical emissions of higher-income countries, which may increase their responsibility…
Tag: G20
Watered-down G20 statement on Ukraine is sign of India’s growing influence
It took exhausted Indian diplomats 200 hours of non-stop negotiations, 300 bilateral meetings and 15 drafts, but in the end the G20 countries reached a consensus declaration on the war in Ukraine – one that largely retreated into generalised principles rather than the specific condemnation of Russia that the same group of leaders agreed when they met in Bali a year ago. Moreover, no invitation was extended to Ukrainie’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to address the gathering, meaning the only direct combatant around the table was Russia, represented by its foreign…
Why is Xi Jinping missing the G20?
The decision of Xi Jinping to not attend this weekend’s G20 meeting has sparked rampant speculation. Since coming to power in 2013, Xi has attended every G20 meeting – either in person or virtually – but on Monday China’s foreign ministry revealed the premier, Li Qiang, would be leading the delegation instead. China is a crucial global player and its leader’s absence has raised eyebrows. “Given that Xi is the one making all the decisions it’s become all the more important for world leaders to have regular, direct exchange with…
G20: battle for influence as US seeks to rival China in the global south
The run-up to this weekend’s G20 summit in Delhi has largely been dominated by two issues: the host’s efforts to project India as a superpower; and the intriguing decision of Xi Jinping not to attend. The substance of what world leaders will discuss during their two days together has struggled to surface. Yet this year’s G20 – the 24th since the format was inaugurated in 1999 – is potentially a make or break moment for the organisation that includes the world’s 19 wealthiest nations plus the European Union as a…
Australia to roll out new south-east Asia trade strategy to hedge against China
Anthony Albanese will fly to Jakarta this week to launch a major new strategy to deepen Australia’s trade and investment ties with south-east Asia and hedge against top trading partner China. Despite China recently re-opening the door to key Australian exports that it shunned at the height of diplomatic tensions in 2020, the Albanese government wants to diversify economic ties to reduce exposure to further political tumult. Nicholas Moore, the former Macquarie chief turned special envoy for south-east Asia, has been working on a strategy for Australia to pursue new…
China signals Xi Jinping will not attend G20 summit in India
Xi Jinping’s attendance at the G20 this weekend has been all but ruled out after China’s foreign ministry announced the team would be led by the country’s premier, Li Qiang. It will be the first time that a Chinese leader has not attended the G20 leaders’ summit since the first was held in 2008, although Xi attended only virtually in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic. The US president, Joe Biden, said last week that he hoped Xi would attend the summit in Delhi, but US officials played down…
Modi’s unifying message for the G20 summit looks dated as globalisation falls apart
India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, will have the unenviable task of forging agreement between the world’s biggest developed and developing countries when G20 leaders gather in Delhi for their annual summit later this week. The scale of the challenge will be reflected in two significant no-shows. Vladimir Putin will not be leaving Moscow and nor will Xi Jinping be flying in from Beijing. The theme of the meeting is “One Earth, One Family, One Future” but in truth the G20 is riven by conflict and struggling to remain relevant. It…
Biden hopes Xi Jinping will attend G20 amid reports Chinese president will skip Delhi summit
Joe Biden has said he hopes Xi Jinping will attend the G20 leaders summit in India next week, following reports the Chinese president will skip the meeting. “I hope he attends,” Biden told reporters on Thursday in Washington, as some US officials played down the chances of a Xi-Biden meeting in New Delhi, suggesting it would be more likely at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or Apec, conference in San Francisco in November. The possible absence of Xi was reported by Reuters on Thursday. Analysts quoted by Reuters said any decision…
Beijing reports heaviest rain in 140 years as China denies sinking G20 climate talks
Rains that pummelled Beijing in recent days were the heaviest since records began 140 years ago, the city’s weather service has said, as China faced accusations that it had undermined key climate talks with other countries. Storm Doksuri, a former super typhoon, swept northwards over China after hitting southern Fujian province last week, following its battering of the Philippines. The average rainfall for the entire month of July was dumped on Beijing in just 40 hours, with heavy rains pummelling the capital and surrounding areas since Saturday. “The maximum [amount]…
China and Saudi Arabia boycott G20 meeting held by India in Kashmir
India’s presidency of the G20 group of leading nations has become mired in controversy after China and Saudi Arabia boycotted a meeting staged in Kashmir, the first such gathering since India unilaterally brought Kashmir under direct control in August 2019. The meeting, a tourism working group attended by about 60 delegates from most G20 countries taking place from Monday to Wednesday, required a large show of security at Srinagar international airport. In 2019 the Indian government stripped the disputed Muslim-majority region of semi-autonomy and split it into two federal territories…