The heads of the world's 20 biggest economies kicked off two days of talks on Saturday where they were set to acknowledge the existential threat of climate change, but stop short of radical new commitments to tame global warming, Reuters reports.
A draft communique seen by Reuters shows major countries are only likely to slightly toughen their pledges on climate action, while failing to set tough new targets that activists say are vital to prevent environmental catastrophe.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi greeted leaders from an array of countries, including U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for the first face-to-face G20 summit in two years as the COVID-19 pandemic starts to ebb.
However, the Chinese and Russian presidents stayed away because of their continued concerns over COVID, dimming hopes of major progress in climate diplomacy ahead of the forthcoming COP26 summit in Glasgow, which is seen as vital to tackling the threat of rising temperatures.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledged the talks in Rome and Glasgow would be difficult, but warned that without courageous action, world civilisation could collapse as swiftly as the ancient Roman empire, ushering in a new Dark Age.
"It's going to be very, very tough to get the agreement we need," he told reporters early on Saturday.
The draft of the final communique said G20 countries, which account for up to 80% of the world's carbon emissions, will step up their efforts to limit global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius - the level scientists have said is necessary to avoid disastrous new climate patterns.
The statement also said the leaders recognized "the key relevance" of achieving net zero carbon emissions by the middle of this century - a goal some of the world's largest polluters have still not committed to.
