What the G20 Meetings Mean for International Climate Negotiations

The G20 meeting in Seoul and the upcoming UN summit in Cancun have reignited calls for coordinated international action to address the problem of climate change, but the past behavior of both institutions suggests that national and even sub-national efforts on clean energy will continue to drive policy for the foreseeable future. Moreover, the climate talks are coming at a time when the clout of emerging Asian economies has never been greater relative to that the industrialized world, with the priorities of those countries driving future negotiations.  And, as long as the international economy is weak, climate talks will always take on a secondary role in international negotiations, meaning whatever progress is made will be at regional or bilateral levels.  Countries, meanwhile, are following their own plans for dealing with climate change, often with little regard for international or regional considerations.  Today’s GR Energy and Climate Brief takes another look at the recent activity in international climate talks, and analyzes how future leadership of climate policy is beginning to emerge in a more multi-polar environment.

New Venues, Old Problems

Although the Group of 20 leading economies typically focuses on trade and general economic matters, energy and climate change have also become an important part of its agenda. At last year’s meeting in Pittsburgh, for example, the G20 agreed to phase out subsidies for fossil fuels, which the OECD has identified as a way to cut global carbon emissions by 10 percent by 2050.

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