G20 energy ministers fail to agree on fossil fuels roadmap

NEW DELHI

Energy ministers from the group of 20 nations meeting in India have failed to agree on a roadmap to phase down the use of fossil fuels in the global energy mix.

A final statement on July 22 after the meeting did not even mention coal, a major contributor to global warming.

The dirty fuel is also a key energy source for many developing economies such as India - the world's most-populous country - and China, the world's second-largest economy.

It came despite G7 leaders agreeing in Hiroshima in May to "accelerate the phase-out of unabated fossil fuels".

Explaining the stalemate, G20 president India said that some members had emphasised the importance of seeking a "phase down of unabated fossil fuels, in line with different national circumstances".

But "others had different views on the matter that abatement and removal technologies will address such concerns," it added.

A coalition of key EU economies - including Germany and France - and some of the most vulnerable island states last week urged the G20 to accelerate plans to reach net zero emissions and phase out fossil fuels, adding: "Humankind cannot afford to delay".

They called for greenhouse gas emissions to peak by 2025 at the latest and be cut by 43 percent by 2030, compared to 2019 levels, in line with recent updates from UN climate experts.

But many developing economies argue that the developed West must pay more as a legacy polluter and greenhouse contributor.

They insist that any transition needs huge capital and new technology, while giving up on polluting fuels without affordable alternatives will condemn their huge populations to poverty.

A report prepared for its G20 presidency estimated the cost of the energy transition at $4 trillion a year and emphasised the importance of low-cost financing for developing countries and technology transfers - a key demand of New Delhi's.