A top UN climate official is urging G20 leaders to step up the pace of developing new climate finance goals, as talks on the topic have stalled at the UN Cop 29 climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan.
"Climate finance progress outside of our process is equally crucial, and the G20's role is mission-critical," said UN climate body chief Simon Stiell in a letter to the G20 leaders, who start two days of meetings today in Rio de Janeiro. "[The summit] must send crystal-clear global signals."
Leaders at the G20 summit have already promised to discuss terms of a fair energy transition, as Brazil — which is holding the group's presidency this year — picked the topic as one of its three goals, along with combating hunger, poverty and inequality and the reform of global governance. The leaders will present a joint statement on the energy transition on Tuesday and on the other two goals on Monday.
Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and UN secretary general Antonio Guterres already met over the weekend at the end of the G20 Social, a Brazilian initiative parallel to the G20 meetings that seeks to "broaden the dialogue between countries and society" to discuss climate and environmental crises.
Lula and Guterres discussed the need for a "coordinated international response to mitigate the effects of climate change, promote adaptation and protect the most vulnerable populations," according to a statement from the Brazilian environmental ministry.
They also agreed that increasing international financing for climate action in developing countries is "urgent."
The leaders discussed the increase in global climate ambitions through new Nationally Determined Contributions, aligned with the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement and in line with the scientific recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
