France blames Russia for G20 failure on fossil fuels

Members failed to agree on a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels

Governor of the Reserve Bank of India Shaktikanta Das, right, with India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the G20. AFP

France on Sunday blamed Russia after the G20 failed to agree on a roadmap to phase out the global use of fossil fuels during a meeting of energy ministers in India.

A final statement after the meeting on Saturday does not even mention coal, a major contributor to global warming.

Explaining the stalemate, G20 president India said that some members had emphasised the importance of seeking a "phase down of unabated fossil fuels, in line with different national circumstances".

But "others had different views on the matter that abatement and removal technologies will address such concerns," it added.

France's minister of energy transition on Sunday pointed the finger of blame at Russia.

"I profoundly regret that there was no common declaration at the end of this meeting, notably because of Russia," Agnes Pannier-Runacher said.

The G20 failure to agree the roadmap came despite G7 leaders agreeing in Hiroshima in May to "accelerate the phase-out of unabated fossil fuels".

A coalition of key EU economies - including Germany and France - and some of the most vulnerable island states this week urged the G20 group of wealthy nations to accelerate plans to reach net zero emissions and phase out fossil fuels, adding: "Humankind cannot afford to delay".

But many developing economies argue that the developed West must pay more as a legacy polluter and greenhouse contributor.

They insist that any transition needs huge capital and new technology, while giving up on polluting fuels without affordable alternatives will condemn their huge populations to poverty.