G20 summit pushes for sustainability and energy transition in Trump's shadow

Pressing issues include social inclusion, tackling hunger and poverty, and raising sustainable development and energy transition

Giant portraits of world leaders submerged in Rio de Janeiro as a protest against the lack of leadership among the world's richest nations. AFP

Member nations of the Group of 20 are set to convene in Brazil next week, tasked with addressing pressing issues around sustainability amid the incoming climate change-sceptic US administration of returning president Donald Trump. On the table at Rio de Janeiro on Monday and Tuesday will be social inclusion and tackling hunger and poverty, reforming institutions of global governance, and, notably, an aim to raise sustainable development and energy transition.

That last one entails mobilisation against climate change, sustainable finance, and energy efficiency and the transition to renewable energy, according to the European Council. Under Joe Biden's Democratic administration, the US has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability, after Mr Trump consistently denounced climate change as a hoax and infamously pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement during his first term.

Mr Biden is already in Brazil after having attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit in Peru. The now lame-duck president has one final chance to send a pro-sustainability message before Mr Trump takes over.

It is unclear how America's message will last after the Brazil meeting, especially now that Mr Trump is rapidly forming his government. One of his picks is Chris Wright, the Liberty Energy boss, who is a huge fan of fossil fuels and doesn't believe in climate change. His appointment may set the tone for the Trump administration.

Anna Wieslander, head of the Atlantic Council think tank's Northern Europe office in Stockholm, said Trump 2.0 is "perceived as carrying risks", with an expected lack of measures to fight climate change and economic protectionism among them. This echoes the Swedish government's concerns.

Climate policy is also "dominating" public debate in Australia, in response to the results of the US elections, said Peter J Dean, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and director of foreign policy and defence at the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.

The EU, meanwhile, said it remains "firmly committed" to the "comprehensive and effective implementation" of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The economic bloc says its 27 member states have been the largest contributors to global climate finance, shelling out about €28.6 billion ($30.2 billion) in 2023 alone, according to its website.

"The transition to a net-zero economy is a must in order to tackle the climate crisis and it brings significant opportunities for economic growth, markets and jobs, and technological development," it said.

Also, with the Covid-19 era over, the EU is also calling for the strengthening of public policies favourable to climate action, including carbon pricing, discouraging environmentally harmful and economically inefficient subsidies, and shifting towards more sustainable investments. "The recovery from the pandemic has offered the opportunity to rebuild better and more sustainably," it said.

Middle East presence

G20 members include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US, the African Union and the EU. Spain has been invited as a permanent guest.

The UAE will also be attending. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, arrived in Rio de Janeiro, on behalf of President Sheikh Mohamed. He is scheduled to meet Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to strengthen bilateral ties, as well as to witness the exchange of several agreements, preliminary pacts and strategic partnerships.

Last week, the UAE emphasised its commitment to integrating culture into sustainable development and climate action at G20 meeting, said Sheikh Salem bin Khalid, Minister of Culture. “Culture not only preserves heritage but also provides innovative solutions to complex global issues, including climate change. As we face an evolving climate, culture strengthens our resilience against these challenges," he said.

The Group of Friends for Culture-Based Climate Action, a collaboration between the UAE and Brazil that was launched at last year's Cop28 conference in Dubai, has received much-needed support that "symbolises our dedication to addressing climate challenges through a cultural lens", Sheikh Salem added. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, was the G20's top market for tourism growth in the first seven months of this year compared to the pre-pandemic era, according to the UN Tourism Barometer released in September, also in Brazil.

International tourist arrivals in the Arab world's biggest economy leapt by 73 per cent from 2019 to about 17.5 million visitors, boosting revenue more than threefold, it said. That follows a strong 2023 when the kingdom welcomed 27.4 million tourists, marking a 56 per cent jump from 2019.