The Group of Seven developed economies (G7) in the recent meeting of its Climate, Energy and Environment Ministerial has decided to phase out unabated coal during the first half of the 2030s. The decision would set the tone for the deliberations at the upcoming global dialogues on energy transition at COP29 in Baku and also G20 in Brazil, later this year.
“We commit to phase out existing unabated coal power generation in our energy systems during the first half of the 2030s or in a timeline consistent with keeping a limit of 1.5°C temperature rise within reach, in line with countries’ net-zero pathways. (We would also) reduce as much as possible, in the meanwhile, the utilisation of unabated coal power generation plants in our energy systems to a level consistent with keeping the limit of 1.5°C temperature rise within reach,” the final communique of the G7 meeting in Tunis, Italy said.
While experts have called the language around the phaseout commitment quite weak, the G7 is likely to put more pressure on the developing nations on giving up fossil fuels – a stand they maintained in the last G20 presided by India and at COP28, Dubai.
“The G7’s tepid commitment to phase out unabated coal by the mid-2030s starkly contrasts with the urgent need for climate action. Besides being the principal contributors to historical greenhouse gas emissions, these affluent nations continue to indulge deeply in the fossil fuel economy. This sets a low bar for the upcoming G20 Summit and COP29 climate conference later in the year, perpetuating a grave injustice by allocating the burdens of climate action inequitably and impeding the global fight against climate change,” Harjeet Singh, Global Engagement Director for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative said.
The G7 also reiterated the commitment to mobilise more climate finance towards renewable energy solutions. It also cited the G20 India Presidency text to mobilise “trillions” of funds towards meeting the Paris Agreement goal. This part of the G20 text was pathbreaking as earlier the world had committed to climate finance in “billions”. While it signals enhanced climate funding to developing nations, the lack of a comprehensive plan is disappointing according to experts.
“The G7 discussed mobilising ‘trillions’ to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement but didn’t go further to give any common and coordinated signal on finance. This is a big miss for a gathering of the most advanced economies. India led the demand for ‘trillions’ in finance during its G20 presidency and Brazil now has a wide opportunity to build on this during its G20, especially while negotiations for the New Collective Quantified Goals (NCQG) are ongoing for COP29 to increase fiscal space,” said Aarti Khosla, Director of Climate Trends.
The G7 also decided to push further its “Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs)”. “We will continue our support to the implementation of partnerships such as JETPs and other country platforms and work to shape further country partnerships,” said the text.
Through JETPs, the G7 signs agreements with poorer nations to plan and finance their green growth through reducing fossil fuel usage and more green energy adoption. To date, South Africa and Indonesia have signed a JETP with the US, Japan, and Germany. JETPs have been criticised by climate experts over rich nations promising funds as a loan rather than a grant and meeting their green goals by shifting responsibility onto the poorer nations. The US and Germany have been courting India to sign a JETP but the country has declined to do so until there is a coal phaseout commitment on the discussion table.
Singh said the G7 is clinging to coal, oil, and gas, and consistently failing on their climate finance commitments. “They have no moral authority to demand more ambitious climate action from developing countries like India, which are mostly using their own resources to lift people out of poverty and ensure adequate energy access. Developing nations should not be unreasonably expected to shoulder the consequences of a crisis they did not create,” he said.
First Published: May 01 2024 | 7:00 PM IST
