**Date: November 20, 2024**  
**Location: Brasília, Brazil**  

At the recently concluded G20 summit, world leaders failed to reach a clear consensus on phasing out fossil fuels, drawing strong criticism from global environmental organizations and climate action advocates. This outcome undoubtedly poses significant challenges for upcoming negotiations at COP29, particularly against the backdrop of increasing calls for a transition to sustainable energy.



The G20 summit brought together the world's major economies, including the United States, China, India, and European Union countries, to discuss critical issues such as climate change, economic recovery, and sustainable development. However, despite a general agreement on climate change issues, countries exhibited significant disagreement on specific actions to effectively promote the elimination of fossil fuels. Notably, nations reliant on oil and gas exports strongly opposed setting concrete timelines, arguing that such measures would harm their economic interests.

Environmental organizations expressed disappointment over the summit's outcome. Greenpeace issued a statement after the summit, stating, "The failure to establish a clear timeline and action plan for phasing out fossil fuels is a disregard for the global climate crisis and an irresponsible act." The organization urged world leaders to set clear targets to tackle the escalating climate change crisis.

Meanwhile, climate scientists and analysts noted that this result could bring further uncertainty and challenges to the upcoming COP29 conference. Many countries hope to achieve substantial progress on global emission reduction targets at COP29, and the G20 summit's ambiguous stance on fossil fuel elimination complicates this goal.

At the G20 summit, although leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the Paris Agreement, there was a lack of consensus on the specific implementation pathway. In a post-summit press conference, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated, “We need to find solutions that balance emission reductions with economic development.” This statement reflects the contradictory mindset of many countries in formulating climate policies: they want to demonstrate concern for climate change on the international stage while not sacrificing economic interests.

Notably, despite the disagreements among nations on climate issues, many non-governmental organizations and business leaders actively responded to calls for climate action at the G20 summit, pledging to gradually phase out fossil fuels in the coming years. Many corporate leaders claimed that transitioning to renewable energy not only helps mitigate climate change but also creates new business opportunities and drives economic growth.

Some observers believe that future climate negotiations must explore new cooperative models. In the absence of consensus, regional cooperation or bilateral agreements could become critical avenues for promoting climate action. For example, the European Union called on countries at the summit to jointly develop and promote green technologies to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

COP29 is set to be held in December 2024 in the United Arab Emirates, and pressure is mounting on nations. The conference aims to achieve global greenhouse gas emission reductions and establish the next phase of climate action plans. Due to the G20 summit's failure to clearly support fossil fuel elimination, countries will face increased difficulty in negotiations at COP29, especially with some nations still heavily dependent on fossil fuels.

In anticipation of the upcoming COP29 conference, climate activists are urging national delegations to demonstrate greater courage and determination in climate negotiations, working swiftly to enhance global capabilities in addressing climate change. Climate change has become a pressing global issue, and governments need to reassess their climate policies in light of G20 summit outcomes, taking seriously the expectations of the international community.

As COP29 approaches, global citizens are closely monitoring developments regarding climate change issues. The urgency and necessity of climate action continue to grow, and there is hope that countries can demonstrate true leadership in the forthcoming negotiations and work together to tackle this generational challenge.