G20 performance on energy, 2008–2023
100
75
50
25
0
Compliance (%)
Conclusions (% words)
Commitments (%)
DECISIONS Since 2008, G20 summits have made 193 energy commitments, placing energy fifth among all subjects. Pittsburgh in 2009 had 16 (13%), followed by a sharp decline to one (2%) in Toronto in 2010. This rebounded to 14 (9%) in Seoul in 2010 and 18 (5%) in 2011. It then fluctuated, up to 19 (7%) in 2013 and 42 (8%) in 2017 (the highest to date), down to two (1%) in 2019. Recent summits rose steadily with four (4%) in 2020, eight (4%) in 2021, 11 (5%) in 2022 and 13 (5%) in 2023. COMPLIANCE The G20 Research Group has assessed compliance with 25 energy commitments made since 2009. Energy compliance averaged 70%, aligning closely with the G20’s overall 71% average. Energy compliance peaked in 2011 at 90%, in 2018 at 89%, in Seoul 2010 at 82%, and in 2022 at 80%. The lowest compliance came for 2016 with 49%, and 2015 and 2021 with only 33% each. The top compliers were France, Korea and the United Kingdom at 82% each, followed by the United States at 78%, Germany at 76%, and Brazil and China at 74% each. India, the 2023 G20 host, averaged 72%.
Brazil will push for stronger alignment on global energy governance that better supports the G20’s efforts to address global inequities, particularly in the Global South”
compliance. The seven highest complying summits averaged 81% compliance and had 6,631 words on energy, whereas the seven lowest complying ones averaged 54% and had only 3,928 words. Again the exception is Hamburg 2017 with compliance of 54% and 3,290 words. CONCLUSION To improve its energy compliance, G20 leaders should create more robust, highly binding energy commitments. With another year of global record-breaking temperatures in 2024, there is potential for progress at the Rio Summit, particularly if President Lula can continue to encourage his G20 partners to accelerate their national decarbonisation strategies. The scale and magnitude of destruction caused by recent wildfires in the Amazon reinforces Brazil’s commitment to advance concrete action on the energy transition and tackle climate change head-on.
CAUSES AND CORRECTIONS When evaluating the G20’s energy compliance, certain potential causes and corrections stand out. First, strong politically binding language helps. Commitments expressed in strong language, such as ‘we will take steps to create’ or ‘we commit to’, average 81% compliance; those with less binding language, such as ‘we welcome the work of’, average only 62%. Second, a high number of energy commitments helps compliance. The seven summits with the highest compliance averaged 81% and made 97 energy commitments, while the seven summits with the lowest compliance averaged 54% and made only 52 commitments. Hamburg in 2017 is an exception with only 54% compliance – below the 71% average – and 42 commitments.
Third, a high number of energy conclusions accompanies higher
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2024 — G20 BRAZIL: THE RIO SUMMIT
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