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European leaders appeal to G20 - ‘The world urgently needs leadership from the biggest countries – now’

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The prime ministers of Belgium, Denmark and Estonia (Alexander De Croo, Belgian Prime Minister; Mette Frederiksen, Danish Prime Minister; and Kaja Kallas, Estonian Prime Minister) used their doorstep for today’s European Council (21 October) to promote a letter they and other small states have sent to the G20.

The open letter sent ahead of the G20 Summit at the end of October and ahead of COP26 urges G20 countries to send a clear signal that they are fully aware of the responsibility they bear and the global leadership needed for a just transition. 

The letter states: “With 80% of global GDP, the G20 has a vital role to play in building a more resilient world. We encourage G20 members to scale up public financing for adaptation as also underlined by the UN Secretary-General, as we seek a balance between adaptation and mitigation support. We further call on the G20 to show solidarity with those most in need by delivering on the $100 billion pledge from developed countries. We must clearly signal to those on the frontline of the climate crisis that the world’s largest economies stand with them. The world urgently needs leadership from the biggest countries – now.”

With 10 days to go until the world gathers in Glasgow for the UN Climate Conference, it seems that some of the most important leaders will be missing from the event: China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin have confirmed that they won’t attend, India’s prime minister Narendra Modi hasn’t yet confirmed. 

This evening EU27 heads of government are discussing their approach to COP26, in his letter to leaders Charles Michel called for an ambitious approach. 

Today, the European Parliament 21 October, Parliament adopted its position for the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. MEPs are concerned that the targets announced in Paris in 2015 would result in warming well above three degrees by 2100, compared to pre-industrial levels. They say that the EU must remain a world leader in the fight against climate change and that MEPs will work to ensure that the EU’s “Fit for 55 in 2030” climate package is fully in line with the Paris Agreement. They also call on all G20 countries to be climate neutral by 2050 and demand that at least $100bn in climate finance per year are made available for developing countries.

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