Rome : The Group of 20 (G20) leading industrialized nations start their two-day meeting in Rome later on Saturday with climate action ahead of the COP26 summit and the coronavirus likely to dominate.
The UN climate summit in Glasgow comes immediately after the G20 meeting and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres believes the fight against climate change could be lost if the G20 does not step up, dpa reported.
“There is a serious risk that Glasgow will not deliver,” he said.
Coronavirus will also be a major theme at the G20 meeting, which is being attended by US President Joe Biden. Some other leaders such as Russia’s Vladimir Putin are taking part via video link.
Germany will be represented by caretaker Chancellor Angela Merkel and her likely successor Olaf Scholz.
Both want to send a signal of continuity to their international partners, said acting Finance Minister Scholz, who is already in Rome. Merkel is arriving early on Saturday.
