The Road To 18th G20 Leader’s Summit In New Delhi

The 18th G20 Summit will be held on September 9-10 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Under the Indian Presidency, the focus theme for this year’s summit is – ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’.

The Indian Presidency will also spotlight Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE), with an emphasis on environmentally sustainable and responsible choices at both the individual lifestyle and the national development level, with the aim of achieving a cleaner, greener, and bluer future.

Global Biofuels Alliance( GBA) will be launched at 18th G-20 submit this year in Sept. in New Delhi. It’s a priority under Indian presidency. The GBA, comprising Brazil, the US, and India, aims to impact the global energy architecture and achieve net-zero emissions. With an objective to develop a global biofuel market and to promote the use of sustainable biofuels, It will be inaugurated by PM Modi.

In the fiscal year 2020-21, India produced 4.08 billion litres of ethanol, achieving a blending rate of 10.02% and resulting in a reduction of 2.7 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. India aims to achieve a blending rate of 12% by 2022-23 and a goal of 20% blending by 2025, requiring an expanded production capacity of ethanol to 17 billion litres. India actively promotes compressed bio-gas (CBG) derived from waste through the Sustainable Alternative towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) program. India aims to install 5,000 CBG plants across the country by 2024.

Biofuels are derived from organic materials, such as plants, crops, and agricultural waste and are alternative to traditional fossil fuels, since they are produced from renewable biomass sources. Such as Ethanol: a biofuel produced by fermenting and distilling sugars / starches from corn, sugarcane, and wheat. Biodiesel: It is a renewable fuel made from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled cooking oils. Biogas: It is produced through the anaerobic digestion of organic waste materials such as agricultural residues, food waste, and animal manure.

The Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA), is aimed at slashing the use of petrol and diesel in global transport and accelerating the adoption of cleaner fuels, has already found in-principal support from most G20 members. However, major energy producers such as Russia, China and Saudi Arabia have remain unconvinced of joining the GBA so far.

As the premier forum for international economic cooperation, the Group of Twenty (G20) plays a critical role in steering the global economy through the significant challenges it faces.

Following G20 Bali Leaders declaration in 2022, The 18th G20 is expected to adopt a Leaders’ Declaration at the conclusion of the Summit that states commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed during the Ministerial Meetings.

The G20 was founded in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis as a forum for the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors to discuss global economic and financial issues. The G20 was upgraded to the level of Heads of State/Government in the wake of the global economic and financial crisis of 2007, and, in 2009, was designated the “premier forum for international economic cooperation”.

The G20 initially focused largely on broad macroeconomic issues, but it has since expanded its agenda to include trade, sustainable development, health, agriculture, energy, environment, climate change, and anti-corruption.

The G20 is made up of 19 countries and the EU. The 19 countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, and the US.

It works to address major issues related to the global economy, such as international financial stability, climate change mitigation and sustainable development. It represents all inhabited continents, 80% of world GDP, 75% of global trade and 60% of the world’s population.

The writer of this article is Dr. Seema Javed, an environmentalist & a communications professional in the field of climate and energy