Activists have reacted with anger as the world’s largest economies made few firm commitments on climate at a G-20 summit in Italy,
CNBC reports.
World leaders acknowledged there would need to be “meaningful and effective actions” to mitigate temperature rises in a written agreement released Sunday, but did not commit to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by a set date.
Antonio Guterres, the U.N.’s secretary general, appeared disappointed with progress from the G-20 meeting.
“While I welcome the #G20′s recommitment to global solutions, I leave Rome with my hopes unfulfilled - but at least they are not buried. Onwards to #COP26 in Glasgow to keep the goal of 1.5 degrees alive and to implement promises on finance and adaptation for people & planet,” he said in a tweet Sunday.
World leaders attending the G-20 meeting were also disappointed.
U.S. President Joe Biden blasted Russia and China, which, he said, “basically didn’t show up in terms of any commitments to deal with climate change.”
The U.S., China and Russia are historically the world’s three largest carbon emitters, according to research group Carbon Brief. China’s President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are not attending COP26, with Xi set to release a written speech Monday.
Biden said a “series of very productive meetings” were held at the G-20 and conceded: “We’ve made significant progress and more has to be done.”
