“The success of our presidency will be measured not by the number of papers produced but by the partnerships sustained beyond it.”
That was the message from forestry, fisheries and the environment minister Dion George on Thursday, opening the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability ministerial meeting in Cape Town. “The true test of our deliberations lies in delivery.”
For South Africa this means projects that create jobs, technologies reducing emissions and programmes that restore ecosystems and strengthen communities, he said.
G20 country delegations turned out in force for the final meeting under South Africa’s presidency. The first was held in March and continued in Skukuza in July, where six priority areas were agreed. In September, they were “refined through a science-policy dialogue”.
The efficacy and benefits of multilateralism were recognised at an event on Thursday, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which has guided the reduction of emissions harming the planet.
“Without it, the world wouldn’t just be different it would be worse if we look at where we came from and where we were headed,” said EU commissioner for environment, water resilience and a competitive circular economy Jessika Roswall.
Even with actions taken by countries, the climate crisis is a reality, she noted. “Last year extreme weather killed over 11,000 people in more than 155 climate disasters.”
She said the world needed to join forces ahead of the next meeting of the conference of the parties to the Paris Agreement (COP30) in Belem, Brazil, next month. “Some things are certain even in an uncertain world. We will stay committed to the Paris Agreement.”
UK secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs Emma Reynolds said they were as committed now as when they signed the agreement 10 years ago. “Before [the deal] it was estimated we would reach 4°C [warming above pre-industrial levels] by the end of the century. If countries deliver on their NDCs [nationally determined contributions] we are on track for 2.6,” she said.
A new era of unprecedented clean energy and renewables is creating a “win-win: a win for climate and nature and a win for jobs and economic security”, she said.
Barring the US ― which withdrew from the Paris Agreement under President Donald Trump ― the G20 countries affirmed their ongoing support for the agreement and many echoed the view that the “economies taking the strongest climate action will reap the biggest economic boom”.
João Paulo Capobianco, deputy minister of environment and climate change in Brazil ― which will host COP30 next month ― said the country planned to quadruple its renewables, focus on reforestation and commit to zero deforestation to support its climate goals.
“Our priority is to understand and assess what are the actions on the ground that have been moving,” he said, and accelerate these plans.
Russia and China reaffirmed their commitment to the Paris Agreement and reported on their priorities and track record. For example, China now leads the world in renewable energy capacity and the production of electric vehicles.
Calling for international collaboration, Chinese vice minister of ecology and environment Yu Huiwen said: “We must abandon our zero-sum thinking. Let’s work together with greater resolve to protect our only home, our planet.”
George said the Paris Agreement was “more than a document, it is an expression of hope” and he looks forward to a Cape Town declaration at the end of this process.
The minister said in an interview on Thursday that a fourth draft of the declaration had been produced. The Paris Agreement had served as a framework for countries and a “moral compass” said George, who hoped to see these commitments by major economies strengthened by Friday.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.