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Climate, taxation, vaccines: the timid advances of the G20

2021-10-31T18:56:37.566Z


The objectives set by the host Mario Draghi, President of the Italian Council, were to chart a way out of the Covid-19 crisis and to pave the way for the COP26 on the climate.


Back to normal?

The summit of the leaders of the G20 countries, Saturday and Sunday, in Rome, was to mark the resumption of the multilateral dialogue, after the long distance due to the pandemic.

Even if it lacked heavyweights, such as Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian Vladimir Putin or Prince Mohammed Ben Salman of Saudi Arabia, who appeared by videoconference, the meeting was the occasion of intense diplomatic activity which had been lacking for half a year.

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The objectives set by host Mario Draghi, President of the Italian Council, were to chart a way out of the Covid-19 crisis and pave the way for the COP26 on climate, which opened in Glasgow on Sunday.

Most of the leaders of the G20 countries, which account for 80% of global polluting emissions, went there directly by plane from Rome on Sunday evening.

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Mario Draghi said he was

"proud"

of the results of the Rome summit, specifying however that this was

"only the beginning". “We are committed to keeping the 1.5 ° C target within reach,

” he said. Namely, according to the press release, devote

"significant and effective commitments"

not to exceed this threshold, rather than the 2 ° C warming of the Paris agreement. The negotiations continued all night from Saturday to Sunday to reach these formulations. It remains to be seen what concrete means the countries are ready to devote to this ambition, underline the NGOs.

"We do not have everything we need to get it,"

admitted Emmanuel Macron, who however welcomed a news

Common

“dynamic”

so as not to take refuge behind

“the fate of 2 ° C”.

Sharing vaccines

The G20 has also pledged to stop subsidizing coal-fired power plants abroad this year (an effort by China, Japan and South Korea), without, however, translating this objective at the national level.

Another vague ambition: that of achieving carbon neutrality

"in the middle of the century",

rather than by the precise date of 2050, like Europe or the United States.

This is to leave room for China, which was rather targeting 2060.

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Agreement was reached on the French proposal to return $ 100 billion in IMF funds, out of the total amount of $ 650 billion in special drawing rights, to vulnerable countries, particularly in Africa.

A first tranche of $ 45 billion in voluntary contributions has been recorded.

These means are intended to strengthen international solidarity after the very unequal burden of the pandemic between the North and the South.

A fund for climate transition in developing countries, endowed with 100 billion dollars per year, is also planned.

Far from the account

This solidarity is put to the test on the issue of vaccines.

After the big promises of 1 billion doses issued during the G7 in June and remained dead letters, the G20 states have clarified their commitments in a more concrete way.

This includes being transparent about deliveries.

As such, France claims to have already given the Covax organization 67 million doses, and plans to 120 million by June 2022.

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"If all the G20 countries do like France and give a dose per person, then we will be able to meet our objectives,"

said Emmanuel Macron.

Namely, vaccinating at least 40% of the world's population by the end of this year and 70% by mid-2022.

We are still far from the mark.

“While the vaccination rate in G20 countries is around 63%, only 10% of people in low and lower middle income countries have been able to receive the vaccine,”

says Amnesty International.

The leaders of the G20 have finally validated the

“historic”

reform

of world taxation concluded under the aegis of the OECD, which provides for a minimum tax of 15% for multinationals.

France hopes to see it enter into force from 2023.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2021-10-31

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