NEW DELHI, INDIA (September 9, 2023) — Today the G20, made up of the world’s largest economies, issued the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration, which emphasizes the importance of G20 countries cooperating to address global challenges like the climate crisis. 
    
The declaration follows yesterday’s release of the Global Stocktake synthesis report, which offers the most comprehensive overview of climate action since the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015, as well as a roadmap for government to move forward.

Following is a statement from Ani Dasgupta, President & CEO, World Resources Institute:

“The world is burning, people are starving, and the world is not on track to meet its climate goals. The G20, accounting for most of the world’s wealth and emissions, is vital to mobilizing the political will and finance we need to address these global crises.

“Given the world just experienced its hottest summer on record, there is a massive disconnect between what the world needs and what the world’s largest economies are delivering. 

“There were some positive signals, which countries now need to translate into meaningful action. Countries committed to pursue low-carbon, climate-resilient development, build more sustainable food systems, restore degraded ecosystems, conserve forests and the ocean, and fully implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. They supported a shift to sustainable production and consumption to slash emissions, particularly through the India-led Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE). They emphasized accelerating green hydrogen production, which will be important to decarbonize critical sectors, so long as countries adopt strong standards to ensure hydrogen is not produced with fossil fuels. And the G20’s commitments to increase women’s participation and decision-making power on climate efforts and promote food security solutions by and for women farmers are welcome steps.

“But countries also did not go far enough on finance and fossil fuels. The declaration draws attention to the scale of climate finance that is urgently needed and puts its weight behind growing calls to make international financial institutions more responsive to developing countries’ needs. The G20 needs to adopt concrete new actions to address the severe lack of finance and debt crises that climate-vulnerable countries face. Countries must also rapidly shift away from fossil fuels and toward renewables, which are now cheaper in most parts of the world, if they are to meet their commitments.

“The upcoming COP28 summit presents an opportunity for these countries to step up. The just-released Global Stocktake report provides countries with a blueprint for how to get the job done. They should commit to triple renewable energy and significantly grow fossil-free transport, transform our food systems, bolster resilience, and deliver the finance that climate-vulnerable countries need. 

“The actions of this group of countries will determine the course of our future. As Brazil and President Lula take over the next G20 presidency, these countries must accelerate the scale and pace of change, demonstrating the leadership the world needs on climate action, equity and food security.”