Priorities for the G20 and COP26

The G20 countries account for 84% of global greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels and 90% of global GDP, yet their climate commitments and financial contributions remain insufficient. While some G20 nations have submitted enhanced 2030 NDCs and net-zero targets, others, such as Brazil and Mexico, have reduced their ambitions. The document highlights a failure to meet the 2010 pledge of $100 billion annual climate finance for developing countries, noting that finance is often misdirected toward middle-income countries rather than the most vulnerable, and increasingly provided as loans rather than grants. Furthermore, G20 countries have provided more funding to fossil fuels (over $315 billion) than to clean energy (around $280 billion) since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

• G20 nations possess significant global influence, representing 90% of global GDP, 80% of international trade, and 84% of global greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels.
• Current G20 climate commitments are largely inadequate for limiting global warming to 1.5°C; specifically, the commitments of Argentina, Canada, the EU, and the US are classified as insufficient or highly insufficient by Climate Action Tracker, while Brazil and Mexico have decreased their ambitions.
• The 2010 pledge to provide at least $100 billion annually for mitigation and adaptation in developing countries has not been met, and adaptation finance needs are projected to reach $140–300 billion by 2030.
• Climate finance distribution is skewed toward middle-income G20 countries; between 2015 and 2019, approximately 1 in 7 committed funds went to Brazil, China, India, or South Africa, while members of the Alliance of Small Island States received only 2.1%.
• Climate finance is increasingly delivered as loans rather than grants, with the share of loans rising from 52% to 74% between 2013 and 2018, exacerbating debt burdens for poor countries.
• Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, G20 countries have allocated more funding to fossil fuels (over $315 billion) than to clean energy (approximately $280 billion).

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2021). Priorities for the G20 and COP26. https://www.sei.org/perspectives/priorities-g20-cop26/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Priorities for the G20 and COP26. 2021. https://www.sei.org/perspectives/priorities-g20-cop26/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Priorities for the G20 and COP26 |date=29 October 2021 |url=https://www.sei.org/perspectives/priorities-g20-cop26/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2021priorities, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Priorities for the G20 and COP26}}, publisher = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://www.sei.org/perspectives/priorities-g20-cop26/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }