Climate protectors sharply criticize G20 plans

Created: 2022-11-16 04:23

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) speaks to media representatives at the G20 summit.

© Christoph Soeder/dpa

"Inadequate", "just warm words", "nothing new": This is how the critics sum up the draft for the final declaration that became known after the summit of the major economic powers in Bali.

Nusa Dua - Climate activists have sharply criticized the group of major economic powerhouses (G20).

"Even after the G20 summit, the world is still sliding towards uncontrollable, catastrophic warming, which is already exacerbating poverty, hunger and injustice worldwide," said expert Jan Kowalzig from the development organization Oxfam at the meeting in Bali, Indonesia.

"The G20 summit only provides weak impetus here."

Although the G20 countries are responsible for 80 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, there is no progress on their "inadequate" climate protection goals, the necessary move away from climate-damaging fossil fuels and the expansion of renewable energies.

"The G20 are not making decisive progress with the long-awaited reduction in subsidies for fossil fuels, thus further extending the fatal dependencies on coal, oil and gas."

"Confessions are no longer enough," said Ekkehard Forberg from World Vision.

The promises must also be implemented.

The G20 countries would have had to provide financial support for this, but this was not forthcoming.

"In essence, only warm words remain from this summit," said Forberg on the draft for the practically negotiated final declaration that has become known.

The Bali text is "basically a copy of what was decided in Rome last year," said Friederike Röder of Global Citizen.

"Nothing new about it." It is unbearable that there is no reference to the urgently needed phase-out of fossil fuels.

This also includes the end of public funding for new coal-fired power plants, which should have happened last year.

"How credible is that when you just repeat old promises year after year without making any real progress?" said Röder.

dpa