The rejection of British, French, and U.S.-backed resolutions at the Rome summit signaled a shattering of consensus ahead of the UN climate change conference beginning in Glasgow on Monday.
More than 20,000 people have assembled in the Scottish city for the COP26 summit, where Mr. Johnson had hoped to usher in a new era of global cooperation on emissions reduction and climate change.
The final G20 communique released late Sunday revealed a softening in language around net-zero emissions by 2050 targets, with carbon neutrality goals watered down after negotiations to say “by or around mid-century”.
Despite calls to end coal-fired power generation by 2030, the G20 leaders could only agree that countries who “commit to phasing out investment in new unabated coal power generation capacity do so as soon as possible.”
A vague reference was included about ending international public finance for new coal generation abroad by the end of the year.
Mr. Biden’s Global Methane Pledge, which he will officially launch at COP26, also fell flat with G20 leaders.
The communique said the world’s leading economies would only “acknowledge that methane emissions represent a significant contribution to climate change, and recognize, according to national circumstances, that its reduction can be one of the quickest, most feasible and most cost-effective ways to limit climate change and its impacts.”
An emerging bloc of developing and advanced nations, most of whom rely on coal generation and fossil fuel exports, joined forces at the G20 to dilute the draft communique which included stronger climate change targets on shutting down coal-fired power and imposing tougher methane targets.
Before traveling to Glasgow, Scott Morrison and Energy Minister Angus Taylor ruled out Australia supporting higher methane emissions reduction targets or agreeing to a phasing out of coal-fired power generation by the end of the decade.
G20 countries including India, Australia, Russia, China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and South Africa were understood to have reservations about some of the climate agenda being pushed by the US, Britain, and the European Union.
Speaking ahead of flying to Glasgow on Sunday night, Mr. Morrison said he believed “progress” would be made at COP26 despite the setbacks at the G20 summit.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to deliver Australia’s national statement at the UN climate change conference on Monday night, outlining improved 2030 emissions projections and details of the government’s net-zero emissions by 2050 plan.
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Eco-Nazis/Watermelons here they come