By Paul Davies, Michael Green  and Ei Nge Htut

On 8 July 2017, the G20 summit in Hamburg issued a Climate and Energy Action Plan for Growth (the Plan). The Plan reaffirms the commitment of the countries (excluding the United States (US) — which announced its intended withdrawal from the Paris Agreement) to work together to implement the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Paris Agreement, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In summary, the Plan promotes the following measures:

  • The main commitments under the Paris Agreement, including the target to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius and commitments to implement nationally determined contributions (NDCs)
  • Drafting long-term greenhouse gas (GHG) emission development strategies by 2020, for the period to 2050
  • Working towards affordable, reliable, sustainable, and low GHG emission energy systems as soon as is feasible
  • Promoting energy efficiency and improving international collaboration on energy efficiency
  • Scaling up renewable energy and other sustainable energy sources
  • Promoting access to modern and sustainable energy use for all
  • Enhancing climate resilience and climate adaption efforts
  • Aligning finance flows with the goals of the Paris Agreement
  • Mobilising climate finance by multilateral development banks (for example, the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development)
  • Phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies

By Jörn Kassow and Patrick Braasch

At the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China, in September 2016, the G20 leaders reaffirmed their commitment to rationalise and phase-out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption over the medium term, while recognising the need to support the poor. This is not exactly new – similar commitments have been included in past summit communiques. Expectations are growing, however, that a time limit for ending fossil fuel subsidies will be agreed at the 2017 Summit in Hamburg, Germany.

By Paul Davies and Andrew Westgate

In advance of the first ever G20 summit to be hosted in China this year, the Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau issued a revised, short-term air quality plan to improve local air conditions ahead of the summit. China has undertaken similar efforts to achieve a temporary smog lift in advance of other high profile events such as the Olympics in 2008, the Shanghai World’s Fair in 2010 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in 2014 – during which the rare blue skies experienced were referred to as “APEC blue.”

The G20 summit will be held September in Hangzhou, a city situated 150 miles south-west of Shanghai. As China’s largest city, and a city with significant construction, operational and residential emissions, Shanghai impacts upon the air quality of its neighbouring cities, including Hangzhou.