EXPERT COMMENT
A positive outcome from the G20 summit was committing to end international financing for coal projects but, on other issues, the communique was ultimately weak.
Success at Glasgow depends on bridging fault lines
Renata Dwan
The G20 summit's lack of progress on climate highlights the scale of the challenge - and the stakes - for COP26. The countries responsible for 80 per cent of global emissions recognized but failed to agree concrete action to limit global warming to 1.5C.
The leaders' gathering reveals multilateralism's fault lines. One is the tension between domestic politics and international priorities, reflected in the lack of ambition to reduce coal dependency. The second is the tension between industrialized and developing states over responsibility for delivering global goods.
The G20 failed to endorse the G7's pledge to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 or to accelerate the mobilization of previously agreed climate financing. Success at Glasgow - and beyond - will depend on the extent to which these fault lines can be bridged.
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