The G20 transition to a low-carbon economy

The report finds that G20 countries are not on track to meet Paris Agreement goals, with energy-related CO2 emissions increasing again in 2017 and 82% of energy supply still coming from fossil fuels. It highlights significant gaps in sectoral actions—particularly in power, transport, and industry—and notes that fossil fuel subsidies in the G20 nearly doubled between 2007 and 2016. While some countries are implementing 'just transition' initiatives for workers, others lack dialogue or action.

• G20 countries' current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are insufficient to meet Paris Agreement goals, with current targets potentially leading to a global temperature increase of approximately 3.2°C. India has the most ambitious NDC, while those of Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey would lead to warming exceeding 4°C if applied globally.
• Energy-related CO2 emissions in 15 G20 countries rose in 2017 after a period of stalling between 2014 and 2016. Fossil fuels continue to dominate the energy mix, providing 82% of the G20 energy supply on average, with the share increasing in Canada, India, and Indonesia between 2012 and 2017.
• Sectoral performance varies across the G20: South Africa, Australia, and Indonesia have the highest emission intensity in power and lack coal phase-out plans; the US, Canada, and Australia have the highest per capita transport emissions; and the EU is the only entity with a high policy rating for industry due to low-carbon targets for new installations.
• Financial mechanisms in the G20 often contradict climate goals, with fossil fuel subsidies increasing from US$75 billion in 2007 to US$147 billion in 2016. Only France and Canada generate more public revenue from explicit carbon pricing than they spend on fossil fuel subsidies.
• Efforts toward a 'just transition' are emerging in several countries, such as Canada's federal taskforce for coal workers and China's US$4.56 billion allocation to support the closure of inefficient coal mines and redeploy 1 million workers. However, countries including India, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, and the UK currently lack such dialogue or action.

APA

NewClimate Institute (2018). The G20 transition to a low-carbon economy. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/brown-to-green-report-2018

Chicago

NewClimate Institute. The G20 transition to a low-carbon economy. 2018. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/brown-to-green-report-2018.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=NewClimate Institute |title=The G20 transition to a low-carbon economy |date=14 November 2018 |url=http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/brown-to-green-report-2018 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{newclimateinstitute2018g20, author = {{NewClimate Institute}}, title = {{The G20 transition to a low-carbon economy}}, institution = {NewClimate Institute}, year = {2018}, month = nov, url = {http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/brown-to-green-report-2018}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }