Odd-man-out Trump wins G20 favours

hamburg — World leaders made concessions on trade and climate language to Donald Trump on Saturday at the end of the most fractious and riot-hit G20 summit ever, in exchange for preserving a fragile unity of the club of major industrialised and emerging economies.

In a departure from final summit declarations that tend to outline consensus on issues that range from fighting terrorism to financial governance, the extraordinary conclusions this year spelled out differences on core issues.

It acknowledged Trump’s decision to go his own way on taking the US out of the 2015 Paris climate accord and clearly stated Washington’s wish to continue using and selling fossil fuels that are a main driver of global warming.

The declaration also stated for the first time the right of countries to protect their markets with “legitimate trade defence instruments” — wording that essentially gives Trump wiggle room to push on with his America First policy.

The nationalistic stance has set him on collision course with many of America’s allies, who warned Trump against an isolationist path and starting a round of trade war. —