PRESS RELEASE : COP26 President to attend the G20 Climate and Environment Ministerial in Indonesia

• The COP26 President will lead the UK delegation at the G20 Climate and Environment Ministerial in Bali
• Mr Sharma will continue to urge G20 countries to honour their commitments and revisit their 2030 emission reduction targets this year
• He will also meet key Indonesian ministers as the UK Presidency continues to progress implementation of the Glasgow Climate Pact

COP26 President Alok Sharma will travel to Bali from 30 August-1 September to lead the UK delegation attending the G20. The visit is a critical opportunity to engage with G20 Climate Ministers to maintain momentum and drive action on climate, environment and biodiversity ahead of COP27.

He will use the climate sessions to lobby G20 countries to move faster to limit global temperature increase to below 1.5 degrees. The COP26 President will push for climate action through emission reductions this decade, noting that accelerating energy transitions and building net zero green sectors is crucial to long-term economic security and sustainable development.

Mr Sharma will continue to reiterate that current global crises relating to Vladimir Putin’s illegal, unprovoked and barbaric invasion of Ukraine and rises in the cost of living should increase G20 countries’ determination to accelerate the shift to renewables and deliver on the Glasgow Climate Pact.

Alok Sharma, COP26 President said:

“The current energy crisis has demonstrated the vulnerability of countries relying on fossil fuels controlled by hostile actors.

If Countries don’t want the risk of being held to ransom they should do all they can to achieve domestic energy security as fast as possible.

Climate security has become synonymous with energy security and the chronic threat of climate change is not going away.”

He added: “Some Countries have already come forward with great ambition but the science clearly shows our window to act is closing rapidly. Now is the time for the G20 to step up and deliver on the commitments made in the Glasgow Climate Pact.”

The COP President will also meet with Indonesian Ministers to welcome the country’s ongoing work to enhance its climate ambitions, encourage them to submit a 1.5C aligned Nationally Determined Contribution as soon as possible, and to place climate action and energy transition as a central aspect of their G20 Presidency.