G-20 steps up virus fight
World leaders vow ‘to spare no effort to protect lives.’
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Leaders of the world’s most powerful nations wrapped up the Group of 20 summit Sunday, vowing to spare no effort to protect lives and ensure affordable access to covid-19 vaccines for all people.
The two-day summit of heads of state was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed almost 1.4 million people globally, with the world’s highest death tolls recorded in seven of the G-20 countries. The virus has wiped out hundreds of millions of jobs globally and plunged millions of people into extreme poverty.
President Donald Trump, who participated in the summit with prerecorded speeches but did not attend the conclusion, railed against the Paris climate accord Sunday, saying the agreement was designed to cripple the U.S. economy, not save the planet.
“To protect American workers, I withdrew the United States from the unfair and one-sided Paris climate accord, a very unfair act for the United States,” Trump said during a discussion on safeguarding the Earth.
The G-20 said in a final statement that focused heavily on battling the coronavirus, enhancing environmental protections and supporting the global economy that the virus “revealed vulnerabilities in our preparedness and response and underscored our common challenges.”
The group vowed “to spare no effort to protect lives.”
The G-20, which includes the U.S., India, China, the U.K., France, Germany, Japan and others, also stressed the importance of global access to covid-19 vaccines, drugs and tests.
“We will spare no effort to ensure their affordable and equitable access for all people the statement said.
The G-20 expressed support for efforts like COVAX, an international initiative to distribute vaccines to countries worldwide. The U.S., however, has declined to join under Trump.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters Sunday in Berlin that Germany had given financial support to the COVAX initiative but that more money was needed.
The G-20 statement did not directly address an urgent appeal by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who said $28 billion in additional investment is needed for mass manufacturing, procurement and delivery of covid-19 vaccines around the world, including $4 billion immediately.
There is also concern that countries such as Britain, the U.S., France and Germany have directly negotiated deals with pharmaceutical companies, meaning the vast majority of the world’s vaccine supply next year is already reserved.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman rounded out the summit, saying the final statement “succeeded in sending out a message of hope and reassurance to our citizens and all people around the world.”
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte laid out his country’s objectives for the G-20 next year as it assumes the rotating presidency from Saudi Arabia.
“The existential threat, represented by climate change, soil degradation and by the decline of global biodiversity, has brought us to a crossroads, which will determine if we are able to save our planet and construct a sustainable future,” Conte said.
He said the pandemic will remain at the top of the group’s agenda and reiterated his support for universal access to vaccines.
PARIS ACCORD
President-elect Joe Biden, who takes office in January, has said he will rejoin the Paris climate accord, a global pact that the U.S. helped forge five years ago
Trump contended the accord was “not designed to save the environment. It was designed to kill the American economy.”
Trump said that since withdrawing from the agreement, the U.S. has reduced carbon emissions more than any other nation.
With its giant economy, however, the U.S. has far more raw emissions of climate-damaging carbon dioxide to cut than any other country except China. Since 2005, the United States hasn’t been in the top 10 in percentage of greenhouse gas emission reductions.
More than 180 nations have ratified the accord, which aims to keep the increase in average temperatures worldwide “well below” 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit and ideally no more than 2.7 degrees, compared with pre-industrial levels. Scientists say any rise beyond 3.6 degrees could have a devastating impact on large parts of the world, raising sea levels, stoking tropical storms and worsening droughts and floods.
President Xi Jinping of China, the world’s largest emitter, said the G-20 should continue to take the lead in tackling climate change and push for full implementation of the Paris accord.
“Not long ago, I announced China’s initiative to scale up its nationally determined contributions and strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060,” he said. “China will honor its commitment and see the implementation through.”