G7 Summit in Italy Criticized for Lack of New Climate Commitments

The G7 Summit in Italy has faced criticism for failing to introduce new climate commitments, merely reiterating existing goals on coal phase-out and climate financing. This lack of progress has drawn ire from climate activists and experts.

“The G7 leaders could have stayed at home. No new commitments were made,” remarked Friederike Roeder, vice president at Global Citizen.

During the Puglia meeting, the leaders reaffirmed an April pledge by their environment ministers to phase out existing unabated coal power by the first half of the 2030s. However, the final statement allowed for flexibility, letting countries commit to phasing out coal “in a timeline consistent with keeping a limit of 1.5C temperature rise within reach, in line with countries’ net-zero pathways.”

“To stay below 1.5C, the G7’s plan to phase out coal is simply too little, too late, and gas is neither cheap nor a bridge fuel to a safe climate,” said Tracy Carty, climate politics expert at Greenpeace.

The G7, representing around 38% of the global economy and responsible for 21% of total greenhouse gas emissions in 2021, also accounts for nearly 30% of fossil fuel production. Nicola Flamigni from climate communications firm GSCC noted that the group “left the door open for continued public investments in gas.”

The summit also reiterated the need for a new post-2025 climate financing goal, with G7 nations as leading contributors, but this was not a new development.

Protests and Criticism

Outside the G7 media center in Bari, dozens of climate protesters staged a sit-in, wearing T-shirts depicting an olive tree in flames emerging from the Mediterranean Sea. Europe, the fastest-warming continent, and the Mediterranean region are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events caused by climate change.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose government voted against the European Green Deal, argued that climate change should be addressed “without ideological approaches.” However, activists highlighted the presence of the CEO of Italian oil and gas giant ENI at a summit roundtable, criticizing the entanglement of Rome’s political and fossil fuel interests.

Luca Bergamaschi, co-founder of the ECCO think tank, emphasized the inefficiency of gas investments in Africa, stating, “There is no evidence that gas in Africa serves the needs of the people better and cheaper than clean energy and electrification.”

Insufficient Support for Africa

Experts also noted the G7’s lack of commitment to remaining leading contributors to the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), which aids African countries in combating climate change. The G7’s new Energy for Growth in Africa initiative, launched with several African countries, lacked specified funding.

The Apulia Food Systems Initiative, the fourth major G7 food security initiative in 15 years, aimed to tackle the root causes of unwanted migration. However, Nga Celestin from the Regional Platform of Farmers’ Organisations in Central Africa (PROPAC) called it a “half-baked” initiative, stressing that it would fail without engaging family farmers who produce up to 70% of Africa’s food.

David McNair, executive director of the ONE Campaign, criticized the summit’s outcomes, describing them as “pointless platitudes in Puglia” and stating that “this year’s summit sorely missed the mark.”

In conclusion, the G7 Summit in Italy highlighted the persistent challenge of aligning ambitious climate goals with actionable commitments, underscoring the urgent need for more substantial and immediate efforts to address the climate crisis.