The meeting of leaders of the world’s 20 biggest economies in Rome this weekend will be dominated by wrangling over climate targets that are likely to set the tone for the COP26 summit that follows.
Italian diplomats hope that the first face-to-face summit of G20 leaders in two years can pave the way for a breakthrough on climate issues even though they are viewed very differently by the developing and developed nations that will be there.
Although almost 200 countries will be represented at the UN-convened COP26 gathering in Glasgow that begins on Monday, G20 members account for more than 80 per cent of global gross domestic product and a similar level of carbon emissions.