While the COVID-19 pandemic has unveiled systemic and structural flaws and challenges, it also presents an invaluable opportunity to rebuild with better and stronger policies that ultimately strive for sustainable transport systems. This policy brief provides the following proposals for policy frameworks […]
A climate-friendly recovery program from the COVID-19 crisis needs to build on four pillars, which are derived from the desire to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These have been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 crisis and are likely to be impacted […]
There is general agreement that the bioeconomy holds the potential to provide global environmental benefits and promote the much-needed transformation at the national level, through new cycles of innovation and investments. Furthermore, there is growing evidence that many of its components could […]
1. Design individual policies for the electricity and transportation sectors to prepare them for change and avoid inefficiencies in the transition. The power industry faces major technological, economic, and institutional challenges. Combining PV panels with batteries and demand appliances (DERs) can help […]
We recommend five actions for the Group of Twenty (G20) to undertake in order to achieve sustainable and equitable clean energy access and associated water and food security. These actions are: (1) to develop an understanding of accessible water resources and optimal […]
We propose five recommendations and actions for G20 engagement on non-fuel minerals for future energy pathways. Framing: Batteries for EVs and Battery Minerals and Materials First, energy storage is integral to all “new” energy system schemes. Second, mobility itself is complicated. This […]
Policy Recommendations The policy brief will identify key solutions for addressing the issues related to increasing urbanization affecting the quality of life, as well as resilience against unexpected threats such as COVID-19. The following policy recommendations involve the promotion of emerging digital […]
The WEF nexus approach is becoming an imperative enabler for addressing the resources challenge in the MENA region and achieving the countries’ global mandates as defined by the SDGs and their NDCs. Implementing the nexus approach, that is, adopting integrated resource planning […]
Action 1: The G20 should create a working group with the mandate of identifying opportunities and challenges for the implementation of emergency measures to improve the downstream waste sector. Introducing emergency measures to combat the harmful effects of waste generation in sub-Saharan […]
The current challenge is to ensure that both infrastructure and institutional fortitude and market stability continue and expand into the future, despite the uncertainty surrounding the future of global energy markets. It is timely to offer recommendations on how to ensure the […]
Access to modern energy services is critical for continued global economic growth and achieving a better quality of life. Thus, it is critical to appropriately address emerging risks to all dimensions of energy security, including energy availability, affordability, accessibility, and acceptability, while […]
Leveraging hydrogen allows fossil fuel producing countries to participate in the global goal of reducing CO2 emissions, and to valorize their resources and storage capacity. It enables them to diversify their economies, to export, or use a clean energy vector domestically, partially […]
G20 summit leaders should agree to do their share to meet the global goal of planting at least one trillion trees by 2030 by immediately hiring workers for implementation, preventing deforestation and loss of mangroves and coastal wetlands, assisting others in such […]
With an eye on bridging the gaps described above, this brief begins by detailing the unique added value of the G20 in tackling the climate crisis. It then presents concrete proposals in two areas, with a specific focus on how the COVID-19 […]
Internal migration in the context of climate change is a pressing issue for the Group of Twenty (G20), given that some member countries have a large proportion of internal migrants—China and India each have over 100 million internal migrants. Furthermore, the G20 […]
Mainstreaming climate-financial risk assessment in financial contracts is crucial for developing financial instruments that bridge the sustainable investment gap (Siaba Serrate 2019) and promote financial stability (Battiston, Mandel, and Monasterolo 2019). This is an essential step to achieve the Paris Agreement climate […]
The intersection of pollution with health, climate change, and economic growth and the rapid pace at which results can be seen, felt, and measured make pollution mitigation a valuable policy target. Pollution-mitigation efforts can improve health in the short- and long-term while […]
Against these challenges, it is important that authorities such as the UN and EU provide climate migrants their due recognition as refugees. This will enable support from stakeholder organizations such as the UNHCR and others to mobilize financing and resources for these […]
This policy brief highlights the following key areas of intervention and provides recommendations for Group of Twenty (G20) countries. Proposal I Challenges, practices, and requirements for coastal disaster risk reduction Coastal areas provide important economic, social, cultural and ecological services. Most of […]
1. Using preferential trade agreements to leverage climate action Trade agreements have the potential to complement multilateral climate governance. In contrast to the consensus-seeking process under the umbrella of the United Nations (UN) or the World Trade Organization (WTO), trade agreements bring […]
Proposal 1 The G20 should include PVRO technology as an innovative solution to complement previous efforts on Grid Integration for Variable Renewables (GIVAR) implemented by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). This option can provide a […]
Proposal I Align automotive transportation technology infusions, investment strategies, and collaboration initiatives towards targeted transportation applications and early markets Rationale The literature on transportation sustainability recognizes that the benefits associated with emissions reduction technologies, including zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs), come at an incremental […]
G20 countries that are signatories to the Paris Agreement must seek its full implementation while reflecting common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of different national circumstances (G20 2019). Therefore, certain proposed instruments in this brief are pertinent to advanced […]
Proposal I G20 member countries should strengthen and expand upon existing regulatory and fiscal measures to mandate and incentivize the use of recycled plastics, including material and products, as well as efficient plastic product and packaging design, incorporating designs for recyclability and […]
1. Coordinate the response Facilitating a green and Paris Agreement-compliant economic recovery requires concerted global cooperation and commitment from all G20 countries. Coordination among G20 countries will be vital for sending market signals to the private sector and ensuring the poorest and […]
The Way Forward In past meetings, G20 has examined marine biodiversity, marine pollution, and marine litter. These discussions and action plans can be subsumed as a single theme, “Preservation of Oceans,” which was highlighted in the G20 Saudi Arabia Presidency Agenda. As […]
Enhancing voluntary cooperation on cooling in the G20 There are few countries in the world where cooling is more essential to life than in Saudi Arabia. Because of its fundamental importance to development and wellbeing, the Kingdom’s 2020 G20 Presidency is an […]
Summary of the policy recommendations: The proposal is that the G20 should agree on and support a revision of the current IPCC Guidelines (IPCC 2006, 2019) for the measurement, reporting, verification, and certification (MRVC)[1] of methane emissions from the production of fossil […]
Making evidence-based policy recommendations to address the issues originating from the aforementioned challenges is of particular importance for the G20. We outlined the reasons thereof below. Issues of carbon pricing and its competitiveness effects for the G20 G20 countries account for around […]
Proposal I Any energy transition requires strong G20 endorsement of the policies and measures supporting the implementation of low-emissions energy systems. Any combination of technologies considered must include nuclear energy. This requires support for existing plants’ license extensions, the construction of new […]
The International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) landmark report on hydrogen, “The Future of Hydrogen: Seizing Today’s Opportunities” (IEA 2019) provides a comprehensive overview of the current status of hydrogen production, transport, storage, and economic perspectives. Given the vast low-cost hydrocarbon reserves in oil […]
The COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to the cancellation of both Climate COP26 and Biodiversity COP15, has impacted the momentum of the UNESCO-declared Decade of Ocean Science and Sustainable Development (2021–30). Hence, the Saudi G20 2020 Presidency must fill the gap in […]
Our proposal aims to unify support among the G20 countries for a new international effort to measure and value actions to enhance geological carbon sinks. The concept centers on bringing geological carbon stocks under a policy target that balances fossil carbon extraction […]
Proposal I Bridging local energy efficiency standards for buildings with global standards can significantly contribute to the development of a global taxonomy of green assets. Given their different physical locations and local climate conditions, some variations in local BEE standards across G20 […]
#1: Improve the cost-effectiveness of the light-duty vehicle (LDV) sector policies by adopting a targeted approach for demand-side fiscal policies and a unified, technology-neutral performance standards approach for supply-side regulatory policies Rationale G20 countries with supply- and demand-side policies have experienced greater […]
Since the 1980s, there have been calls to incorporate environmental education as an essential part of learning in schools. The Brundtland Commission’s report, Our Common Future, emphasized that “Environmental education should be included in and should run throughout the other disciplines of […]
When the G20 began meeting at the leaders’ level in 2008, it had the distinct advantage of bringing together, in an informal setting, the world’s largest energy producers, consumers and polluters. With 77% of all energy consumption and almost 82% of all […]
Recommendations for Improved Governance In the following section we spell out recommendations that we consider realistic, effective, and consistent with the priorities of the Japanese presidency of the G20. First and foremost, G20 states must recognize that our oceans are at risk, […]
Proposal 1: To achieve the global warming target of 2 degrees or less, it is important to raise the decreasing rate of CO2 emissions per GDP. To that end, it is necessary to accelerate the technology transfer speed and to introduce appropriate […]
1. National governments of G20 countries should work with city governments to target decarbonization objectives while empowering the country as a whole to achieve Nationally Determined Contributions. Existing greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting and target-setting protocols refer to terms such as “carbon neutrality” […]
Globally, mobilizing the private finance needed faces with simultaneous challenges such as development of various co-benefit technological systems and investment models and related adjustments of regulations supporting the free trade (Anbumozhi, Kalirajan and Kimura, 2018). Such systemic change is unlikely to proceed […]
Investing in climate resilient infrastructure makes good business sense as it can prevent inefficiencies and costly retrofitting of infrastructure while reducing the vulnerability of societies. Over the next 15 years, the world will require about US $90 trillion in new infrastructure to […]
Implications of a New Paradigm The good news is that the elements of a new energy-development paradigm are emerging, although they are not yet complete. These consist of: Huge improvements in technical and potentially “macroeconomic efficiency”: There have been very significant improvements in […]
Proposal 1: Governments and development banks should step up efforts to accumulate data on renewable energy potential to facilitate siting. Rationale Southeast Asian countries comprise about 8.6% of the world’s population, though its proportion in terms of economic indicators such as GDP […]
Proposal 1: G20 members establish inventories, or support existing inventories, of (a) threatened biodiversity and (b) biodiversity for technological innovation; and integrate these two kinds of inventories Rationale • Assessment informs planning and policy. Governments need comprehensive and accessible knowledge of the […]
Transition and Ambitious Actions by G20 Countries Proposal 1: G20 member countries should take a lead on enabling and facilitating the transition towards decarbonisation of consumer lifestyles through footprint assessment, strategic planning, and transition experiments. Rationale • Household consumption is the largest […]
After the adoption of the Paris Agreement, practically all countries in Latin America submitted their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that specified their intended climate targets. Green fiscal reform would be a viable next step to move from ambition to practical implementation of […]
1. Integrate the concept of urban metabolism into adaptation strategies Urban Metabolism Cities’ adaptation to climate change must articulate viable pathways for transitioning urban economies from a dependence on nonrenewable materials and energy to more resource efficient and sustainable flows. The concept […]
Clean Energy Technologies Get Cheaper Over Time – Fossil Fuels Don’t Many energy analysts have been surprised by the rapid growth in clean energy technologies such as solar, wind, and batteries. For example, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has consistently underestimated solar […]
Protection of ecological environment and promotion of green development serve the common interest of the world. In the establishment of the global ecological governance system, all countries should shoulder their due responsibilities; they should well cooperate to prevent ecological governance from encountering […]