G20: From Commitment to Action

Virtual

Last year’s G20 summit concluded with a ‘leaders declaration’. Great emphasis was laid on the terms ‘energy’ as well as the word ‘climate’. G20 countries also seem to have broadly acknowledged that all countries worldwide must implement climate action measures to keep 1.5°C within reach. For the first time, all G20 countries have committed to achieving a balance between emissions and greenhouse gas removal through sinks by or around mid-century. Further, a clear commitment of the G20 to deploy and disseminate so-called “zero or low carbon emission and renewable technologies” as well as the promise to end international public finance for new unabated coal power generation abroad by the end of 2021 was put forward. However, how exactly can G20 countries unleash the uptake of renewable energy as the backbone of future energy sectors?

This joint event by the International Renewables Energy Agency (IRENA), the Global Renewables Congress (GRC) and the Climate Vulnerable Forum Global Parliamentary Group (CVF GPG) sought to transform commitments into actions by galvanising enabling policy frameworks for global energy transitions across sectors powered by renewables. The goal of the discussion was to highlight policy recommendations for G20 member states as well as the introduction of a new handbook by the GRC exhibiting already existing good renewable energy policy case studies in the Global South.

The event aimed to bring forth a joint Communique by Members of parliaments of G20 and climate-vulnerable countries to the G20 framework. Calling for commitments and dealing with the following topics:

  • How can we take the G20 net-zero commitments to action by scaling up renewables?
  • Which policies have worked in the past and could be replicated?
  • How can we unlock the needed investments to accelerate renewables deployment?
  • What concrete demands do MPs make towards G20 Heads of State?

The event was conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation in French and Spanish.

Event was by invitation only.