A visual representation of the G20's corporate subsidies reveals that China and the US are responsible for a significant number of market distortions, with China's subsidies primarily consisting of financial grants and the US offering grants, loans, and production subsidies; the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge in market distortions in 2020.
Developed nations will need to invest $100-150 billion per year through multilateral development banks to support emerging economies in financing their climate transition, according to Mark Carney, UN special envoy for climate action and finance. Carney emphasized the importance of transition finance for challenging sectors and called for changes in the operational orientation of MDBs to prioritize climate funding.
A McKinsey Global Institute report highlights the need for $37 trillion in cumulative spending power increase by 2030 to achieve global economic empowerment, focusing on fulfilling essential needs such as nutrition, housing, healthcare, and education while also addressing environmental concerns. Economic empowerment and sustainability must go hand in hand, requiring additional investment of $47 trillion to achieve net-zero emissions, resulting in a total global investment of $84 trillion by 2030. While businesses and the market economy can contribute half of these resources, bridging the remaining gap will require new policies and incentives.
Developing countries propose a new U.N. fund that would unlock at least $100 billion by 2030 to address irreversible damage caused by climate change, but there are disagreements among nations on who should pay into the fund and who should benefit from it.
Leaders of the G20 have pledged to tackle global hunger and malnutrition by enhancing research on climate-resilient crops, promoting sustainable food systems, and supporting developing nations in meeting their food security goals.
The United Kingdom will provide a record $2 billion to the Green Climate Fund at the G20 Summit, the largest single funding commitment by the UK to tackle climate change.
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva calls for an increase in quota resources and $100 billion per year in climate funds from G20 members.
The G20 leaders have made a commitment to accelerate reforms of multilateral development banks (MDBs) in order to address global challenges and maximize developmental impact, with a focus on the needs of low- and middle-income countries. India, as the outgoing G20 President, has emphasized the need for MDBs to be more sensitive to the changing developmental needs of the 21st century, particularly in relation to climate change. A panel of experts has been set up to craft these reforms, which include tripling sustainable lending levels by 2030 and creating new funding mechanisms. The G20 has also called for ambitious implementation of a roadmap on the capital adequacy framework of MDBs, which could unlock $200 billion worth of extra funding potential.
The World Bank is seeking funding from the private sector to expand its lending capacity and address global challenges such as pandemics, climate change, and food insecurity, according to its president Ajay Banga; U.S. President Joe Biden has called on G20 leaders to support the World Bank in order to increase its ability to assist low and middle-income countries.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding opportunity, which aims to expand markets and promote climate-smart production practices in American agriculture, with over $3.1 billion invested in 141 projects.
The United States and Norway will pledge a total of $70 million to launch a fund aimed at helping farmers and agricultural businesses in Africa, in response to worsening hunger in the region caused by armed conflict and climate change.
