G20 Leaders Put Nature and Climate Front and Center

A global community eager for positive news on the environment gained a bit of hope last week when the Group of 20 reiterated commitments to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, continue transitioning from fossil fuels to clean energy, and find ways to finance each of those initiatives. The G20 leaders made the promises at the close of its annual meeting in Rio de Janeiro; Brazil hosted the meeting because it currently holds the G20 presidency, which rotates annually.

Brazil provided a fitting venue for environmental negotiations given that the country is home to the Amazon rainforest, the world’s largest tropical wetland— the Pantanal—and a large ocean area. Brazil is also a major global emitter of greenhouse gases but is actively pursuing a shift to cleaner energy production and nature-based solutions to climate change. Brazil boasts the cleanest energy mix among G20 countries, with 90% of its electricity powered by non-fossil-fuel sources.

Here are some of the major environmental items G20 leaders underscored in their Rio de Janeiro Leaders’ Declaration:

Global climate and conservation priorities: The declaration reinforces a shared commitment to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which includes a goal to protect at least 30% of the planet’s land and waters by 2030 and sustainably manage the remainder. The leaders call on all governments worldwide to develop and progressively update the ambition of their national plans to achieve both of those international agreements. The declaration also calls on all governments to ratify the 2023 high seas treaty and agree to a global treaty on plastic pollution this year.

Conserving marine and terrestrial ecosystems: The G20 Leaders’ Declaration cited the importance of forest conservation and reversing degradation as a vital strategy for carbon sequestration and biodiversity protection, which governments can achieve by implementing sustainable forest management practices and restoration initiatives. The declaration also highlights the need for ocean protection through commitments to conserve marine habitats, reduce plastic pollution, and sustainable management of marine resources.

Transitioning to a clean energy economy: The G20 Leaders’ Declaration reaffirms support for global efforts to triple renewable energy capacity and double the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements. The leaders further underscored intentions to phase out “inefficient” fossil fuel subsidies, although they didn’t define these in the declaration.

Financing climate and biodiversity action: Leaders emphasized the need for increased financing for climate and biodiversity efforts. They highlighted mechanisms to deliver finance including domestic budgets, development cooperation, as well as blended finance with private sector and multilateral development banks. G20 leaders placed special emphasis on channeling those resources to low- and middle-income countries most in need.

Brazil now passes the G20 presidency to South Africa but still retains a vital leadership role on global environmental matters. Brazil will host a pivotal climate meeting in 2025—the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Set to take place in the city of Belém with the Amazon rainforest as its backdrop, COP30 will feature Brazil leading negotiators from over 190 countries as they grapple with how to scale climate finance, develop a global goal on climate adaptation, advance clean energy transitions, and embed nature-based solutions and Indigenous leadership within climate action.

G20 meetings often end with soaring declarations and promises, and this year’s was no different. But given the increasingly convincing science on the looming consequences of climate change and biodiversity loss, governments worldwide must now heed the G20’s advice and move swiftly to lock in significant, lasting conservation and climate action, and ensure ample funding is available to carry out these needs.

Masha Kalinina and Courtney Durham Shane are senior officers with The Pew Charitable Trusts’ conservation support team.