Teresa Ribera values the result of the G20 meeting on the environment, energy and climate held in Naples

The Vice-President and Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, has recognized the commitments made in the framework of the G20 in terms of the environment, energy and climate.

“The G20 countries have a key role to play in demonstrating that it is possible to meet climate objectives and increase ambition by developing concrete policies,” he said during the Group’s meeting, which took place in Naples (Italy) on 22 July and 23 (Climate and Energy).

The Vice-President welcomed the statement, which confirms the commitment to act guided by the objective of limiting the increase in temperature by 1.5ºC with respect to pre-industrial levels, in line with the IPCC. This agreement by the twenty major economies of the world is a call to urgency to present climate neutrality strategies around 2050 – a goal to which countries such as Spain had already committed – and more ambitious national contributions before COP26, which will be held in November in Glasgow.

It also ratifies the financial commitment of 100,000 million euros foreseen in the Paris Agreement and its annual disbursement until 2025 in line with the energy transition, for which an alignment of public and private flows, as well as multilateral banks, is required, which allows accelerating decarbonization and definitively discouraging infrastructures that suppose a slower disappearance of emissions.

“In a context of health crisis and climate emergency, the scenario of limiting the global average temperature to 1.5ºC is the only possible one, in the same way that measures that endanger it cannot be delayed. We must ensure that recovery packages are not only aligned with the Paris goals, but also ensure that all policies apply principles such as not harming the environment,” said Ribera.

Environment, energy and climate come together at the G20

For the first time in the G20, the meeting brought together ministers of environment, energy and climate with a double objective: to reconcile environmental protection with progress and human well-being, and to place the ecological and energy transition at the centre of the political agenda. Promoting coordinated, effective and science-based responses, and betting on a just and inclusive transition that places people at the center and pays special attention to the most vulnerable.

During the meetings, the spokespersons of the main international organizations, such as the United Nations Development Program, FAO, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature or UNESCO, also participated; scientific and civil society organizations such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation or YOUTH 20; and international energy agencies such as IRENA or the IEA, among others.

Mrs Teresa Ribera thanked the Italian Presidency for its efforts and said that the proposed initial communiqué was a good starting point for progress on objectives commensurate with the magnitude of the challenge we face. “However, at a time like the present, clearer signals are needed to advance in the energy transition. We cannot achieve climate security scenarios if we do not bet on the gradual elimination of coal and fossil fuel subsidies and redirect financing towards clean technologies,” said Ribera.

A good number of delegations called for specific commitments in terms of deadlines and on other key issues such as the social response to energy poverty or solidarity in terms of adaptation.

Smart cities and adaptation to climate change

G20 countries recognize the key role that well-designed national recovery packages play in guiding short-term actions (NDCs) and in defining and supporting long-term strategies (LTS) to achieve the Paris goals. Also the opportunities offered by cutting-edge technologies when implementing the different policies and initiatives.

This is a key element in the case of cities, particularly exposed to climate change and, at the same time, fundamental actors to mitigate it. The G20 recognizes the importance of fostering and encouraging collaboration in urban environments and metropolitan areas, as well as supporting bottom-up initiatives such as the Global Covenant of Mayors or the C40.

The declaration also underlines the urgent need to promote sustainable and affordable mobility, including all necessary infrastructure; invest in digital technologies for the integration of renewable energy, storage or smart grid systems; and fostering local energy communities. It also focuses on driving nature-based solutions to inform planning decisions and sustainable financial and business models.

It highlights the G20’s commitment to increase action on adaptation to respond to the risks and impacts of climate change, especially in the most vulnerable countries, which includes the objective of developing strategies to increase resilience, increase financing and align national and international financial flows considering these risks.

Advances in biodiversity, circular economy and green finance

The Vice-President welcomed the agreements on biodiversity, circular economy and sustainable finance reached in the joint statement of 22 July during the G20 Environment Ministers’ meeting, the result of weeks of negotiations.

In this sense, he underlined the commitments made in the protection of natural capital and restoration of ecosystems with solutions based on nature, the defense and restoration of soil, and the protection of water resources, oceans and seas with special attention to marine plastic litter. In this sense, the results of the recent IPBES and IPCC report on the link between biodiversity and climate change, presented on June 10, have been recognized for the first time.

During the meeting in Naples, the Presidency recalled that 2021 is a crucial year for ecological transition and climate, with a series of global events taking place in the coming months: the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the three Rio Conventions on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Desertification (UNFCCC COP26, CBD COP15 and UNCCD COP15), the launch of the United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration, the Food Systems Summit and the United Nations Ocean Conference.

Source: La Moncloa