G20 Leaders under Pressure to Continue Climate Talks During Summit

The ongoing G20 summit has brought together world leaders in Rome to begin talks on leading global issues including climate change. During the first day of the summit, discussion were centered on economy, health, climate change and the environmental impact.

Brazil, China, Germany, U.S and India were the main members of the G20 bloc as they account for 80% of the total emissions of greenhouse gases. Scientists have warned that continuous flow of such harmful gases could lead to a climate disaster in upcoming years.

The summit holds crucial importance as it could determine the future of the planet and curbing of environmental catastrophe. Oscar Soria, an activist at Avaaz said to reporters, “The latest reports are disappointing, with little sense of urgency in the face of an existential emergency. There is no more time for vague wish-lists, we need concrete commitments and action.”

According to experts, if the plans of controlling emissions are met, global warming of approximately 2.7C could still be seen. China has introduced plans to bring emissions to zero by the year 2060. However, other major players including Russia and India have not yet set deadlines for curbing emissions.

In the previous summit held in July, major environmental ministers were unable to finalize a plan to eliminate fossil fuel production. This means the current G20 summit has putting more pressure on world leaders to confront the climate crisis and provide clear-cut deadlines for reducing emissions. Following the footsteps of developed nations, many under developed countries are reluctant to devise emission-curbing plans until powerful world leaders take the initiative first.

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