Leaders of the Group of 20 major economies convened in South Africa on Saturday for a summit boycotted by the United States, aiming to finalize a draft declaration prepared without Washington’s involvement—an unexpected move a senior White House official called “shameful.”
According to the sources, G20 negotiators reached agreement on the draft communiqué ahead of the Johannesburg meeting, with several key agenda items focused on climate change.
The sources confirmed late on Friday that the draft made references to climate change, despite objections from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who doubts the scientific consensus that warming is caused by human activities.
Trump has indicated that it will boycott the summit because of allegations, widely discredited, that the host country’s Black majority government persecutes its white minority.
U.S. Rejects Host Nation’s Agenda
U.S. president has also rejected the host nation’s agenda of promoting solidarity and helping developing nations adapt to weather disasters, transition to clean energy and cut their excessive debt costs.
Impact of Boycott
The boycott had put a dampener on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s plans to trumpet South Africa’s role in promoting multilateral diplomacy, but some analysts suggested it might benefit it, if other members embrace the summit’s agenda and make headway on a substantive declaration.
Three out of four of South Africa’s planned top agenda items – preparing for climate-induced weather disasters, financing the transition to green energy, and ensuring the rush for critical minerals benefits producers – are largely about climate change.
The fourth is about a more equitable system of borrowing for poor countries.
U.S. will host the G20 in 2026 and Ramaphosa said he would have to hand over the rotating presidency to an “empty chair”. The South African presidency has rejected the White House’s offer to send the U.S. charge d’affaires for the G20 handover.
(With inputs from Reuters)
