Brazil's president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva today said developed nations must boost their climate efforts by presenting more ambitious targets for carbon neutrality.
"I propose that the G20's developed nations bring forward their carbon neutrality target from 2050 to 2040 or 2045," Lula said in a speech on the second day of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.
"Without recognizing their historical responsibilities, rich nations will have no credibility to demand ambitious [actions] from other countries," he said.
The G20 is responsible for 80pc of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.
The Brazilian president also called on developing nations to present nationally determined contributions (NDCs) that cover all aspects of the economy.
Brazil presented its new NDC at the UN Cop 29 climate summit in Baku last week, which aims to reduce 2035 emissions by 59-67pc from 2005 levels.
Under the terms of the 2015 Paris Agreement, all signatory countries must present updated NDCs by next January.
Lula also touted Brazil's deforestation efforts, saying that the country decreased those by 45pc in the last two years. He reaffirmed his pledge to end deforestation in the country by 2030. Energy transition was one of Brazil's three goals for its G20 presidency this year. The topic and climate change gained a more prominent spotlight in discussions once conversations on climate finance goals stalled at Cop 29. Developing nations will need at least $2.4 trillion/yr to adapt to climate change, accelerate carbon emissions mitigation and deal with climate disasters, the Interamerican Development Bank's climate change advisor Avinash Persaud said.
As part of its G20 presidency, Brazil set up a disaster reduction group and a task-force to mobilize nations against climate change.
The final G20 declaration includes 25 points on climate sustainable development, energy transition and climate action. Those include reaffirming support for Paris Agreement climate goals, the need for urgent action to "scale up and prioritize" economic adaptation to climate change, working towards facilitating low-cost financing for developing nations to transition to low carbon emissions and a reiterated commitment to boost efforts to phase out and rationalize fossil fuel subsidies.
Brazil will look to continue its role as a leader of energy transition next year, when it will host Cop 30 in Belem, near the mouth of the Amazon River.
