Saving the planet, the G20 way

Editor's note: Stephen Ndegwa is a Nairobi-based communications expert, lecturer-scholar at the United States International University-Africa, author and international affairs columnist. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic turned into a global crisis, the world was teetering on the brink of irreparable environmental destruction. For the last couple of decades, environmentalists and scientists have warned of an impending disaster if we do not curb the ozone depletion by reducing the world's carbon blueprint.

Notwithstanding its catastrophic effects, the pandemic has been a boon for environmental protection. Several studies show that the global coronavirus spread has led to a drastic reduction in industrial activities, road traffic and tourism, undoubtedly some of the world's major sources of pollution. This has led to the rejuvenation of Earth through significant improvements in the quality of both air and water.

This is a development that is not lost on the Group of 20 (G20), which held its annual meeting virtually over the weekend from Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh. The G20 is a major international forum for global economic cooperation, with membership that includes major economies like the US, China and the European Union.

Moreover, the G20 members account for 85 percent of the world's economy, 75 percent of global trade, and two-thirds of the world's population, including more than half of the world's poor. Therefore, the G20 can help the world strike a balance between the demands of economic growth and the need to ensure that these efforts do not hamper the capacity of Earth to regenerate its exploited resources.

Unlike the smaller and more exclusive Group of Seven of the most advanced countries, the G20 represents a broad spectrum of emerging economies consisting of those who aspire to get to the top tier, but also understand the realities of struggling economies. This is the perfect balance that can bridge the empathetic gap between the haves and have-nots in their development approaches.

In his virtual speech on Sunday at the Leaders' Side Event on Safeguarding the Planet during the G20 Riyadh Summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping pitched a few proposals that the group could advance in tackling climate change and mitigating the wider effects of environmental degradation.

First, Xi called on the group to strengthen its response by following the leadership of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and pushing "for the full and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement." An example of this initiative would be for the G20 to increase its carbon emission ceilings and strive for carbon neutrality by 2060.

The second proposal is hastening the transition from fossil fuels to clean and renewable energy. Under the 14th Five-Year Plan released in October, Xi reiterated that "China will pursue clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient use of energy and accelerate the growth of new energy and green industries to promote greener economic and social development in all respects." Mobilizing the G20 to implement the foregoing strategies will have a great impact as no country can clear the high levels of pollution in the world alone.

The third plank is the role of G20 in protecting natural habitats through "cooperation in reducing land degradation, conserving coral reefs, and cleaning up plastic from the ocean," among other measures that enhance the protection of ecosystems. This is a call to each country to take stock of its environmental vulnerabilities and work towards repairing what has been destroyed through errors of commission or omission.

Luckily, the projected winner of US presidential election Joe Biden has stated his intention to return America to the Paris climate agreement after taking office. In June 2017, President Donald Trump gave America the dubious distinction of being the first country to withdraw from the Paris Accord, which actually took effect on November 4, 2020.

Writing in The Conversation edition of November 6, Australian researcher Christian Downie stated that "under a Biden administration, the US will have the most progressive position on climate change in the nation's history." He observes this from the fact that Biden has already laid out a $2 trillion clean energy and infrastructure plan and a zero-emissions goal by 2050.

With the US back in the UNFCCC fold, the G20 will have the opportunity to act in solidarity on matters of environmental conservation. The country will also fortify China's current leadership in tackling global environmental challenges, a role undertaken by the world's second-largest economy after America abdicated it under Trump.

Environmentally speaking, no one expects it to be business as usual once the world overcomes the pandemic. With the lessons being learned, authorities are rethinking long-held development models, ideologies and practices in order to make them fully responsive to conserving all forms of life on Earth.