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G20 countries will sign an agreement at the summit Rio de Janeirothis Monday and Tuesday, commitments to combat the climate crisis, but those efforts may slow as the United States takes power Donald Trump, a skeptic on this issue.

The climate agenda is one of the central axes of discussions at the summit, thanks to the momentum of Brazil, the country that chairs the grouping of the largest economies on the planet, which are also the most polluting, as together they account for almost 80% of greenhouse gas emissions.

In meetings ahead of the summit, which will be ratified by heads of state, a ministerial consensus was reached on expanding financial flows aimed at combating the climate crisisfor which it will be proposed to strengthen the role of multilateral banks.

In addition, there will be a commitment to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030 and promote environmental transformation through economic instruments such as the bioeconomy, which promotes the sustainable use of natural resources.

Among the specific measures is a commitment to support government funds for the Rainforest Forever Fund (TFFF), a proposal put forward by Brazil to compensate low- and middle-income countries for preserving their rainforests.

Likewise, the summit will make commitments to preserving the oceans, implementing the UN convention to combat plastic pollution, creating mechanisms to pay for ecosystem services to countries that conserve their resources, and improving resource management to promote a circular economy.

Discussions on climate will permeate discussions in almost all ministerial negotiations, and will also be reflected in agreements to promote sustainable practices in agriculture or tourism.

Trump effect

The consensus, however, may be weakened by the arrival of Donald Trump, who during his candidacy promised to withdraw the country from the Paris Agreement, as he did in 2017.

“The withdrawal of the United States from climate negotiations will have a very negative effect,” Marcio Astrini, executive secretary of the Climate Observatory, Brazil’s main civil society network on the climate agenda, told EFE.

The United States is the second most polluting country in the world after China, and if it leaves the climate negotiating table, emissions will rise.

As for the direct impact on the G20, Astrini assures that the North American country will refuse any support for issues related to the climate crisis, “be it financial, diplomatic, technology transfer or any other aspect.”

The American leader denies the climate crisis and firmly defends the exploitation of hydrocarbons, major polluters, as well as any economic activity that generates wealth for the country, regardless of the environmental impact it poses.

According to renowned Brazilian scientist and climate expert Carlos Nobre, the “Trump effect” has already begun to manifest itself with the departure of the Argentine delegation from the climate summit in Baku (COP29), and he noted that this support among denialist governments will also be felt in such forums. like G20.

For Nobre, this current situation is “very serious” because conditions on the planet are worse than they were eight years ago when the Republican took power.

“Extreme events have multiplied exponentially; There have never been as many cases as there are now,” he assured EFE.

EFE