Leaders of the world’s largest economies have gathered in Brazil for the G20 summit, where they will focus on reigniting stalled climate talks, addressing global conflicts, and navigating tensions ahead of Donald Trump’s anticipated return to the White House. US President Joe Biden, attending his final summit as president, faces a shifting global order, with Chinese President Xi Jinping emerging as the most influential leader at this year’s meeting.
The summit, hosted by Brazil’s left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is set to address key issues close to Lula’s agenda, including fighting hunger, combating climate change, and taxing the super-rich. However, ongoing wars, particularly the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, are expected to dominate the discussions, with some countries pushing to renegotiate the draft summit communique on these issues.
A source within Brazil’s foreign ministry revealed that while some nations support the current draft, others want to revisit certain points concerning the wars and climate. In particular, Biden’s reported decision to allow Ukraine to use long-range US missiles to target Russia could alter the dynamics of the discussions, prompting European allies to reconsider their positions.
Climate change remains a central concern, with the G20 under pressure to revitalize UN climate talks in Azerbaijan. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called on G20 members, responsible for 80% of global emissions, to take the lead in facilitating a climate deal. The discussions are also aimed at addressing the need for $1 trillion annually in climate finance for developing countries to mitigate the impacts of global warming.
The summit’s timing coincides with a year marked by extreme weather events, including Brazil’s worst wildfire season in over a decade, driven in part by climate change. Leaders at the last G20 meeting in India set ambitious goals to triple renewable energy sources by 2030, though they refrained from calling for an end to fossil fuel use.
While Russian President Vladimir Putin is notably absent from the summit, the war in Ukraine remains a contentious issue, with Western nations increasingly critical of Russia’s actions. President Lula, however, has expressed concerns that the focus on the Ukraine conflict risks overshadowing more pressing global issues, particularly poverty. “We must not ignore the poor people who are invisible to the world,” Lula stated in an interview.
Lula also launched the “Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty” at the summit’s opening, and is advocating for higher taxes on billionaires to address inequality. However, there has been resistance from other countries, including Argentina, where President Javier Milei has expressed objections to some of Brazil’s proposals.
The summit is expected to serve as a critical platform for discussing not only climate change and global economic cooperation but also geopolitical tensions, particularly with the looming return of Donald Trump to US politics. As the world’s largest economies work toward consensus on climate finance and other global issues, the outcome of this summit will likely shape the direction of international relations in the coming years.
