A Look At India's Agenda For The G20 Summit

The G20 summit in Delhi, scheduled for 9-10 September 2023, will be a historic event for India, as it marks the culmination of its presidency of the group of the world’s 20 major economies. The summit will bring together the leaders of the G20 countries, as well as representatives of international organisations, civil society, and business groups, to discuss and decide on the most pressing global challenges and opportunities. The theme of India’s presidency is “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth, One Family, One Future,” which reflects India’s vision of a harmonious and sustainable world.

Trade, energy, tourism, and climate change are some of the key issues on the agenda of the summit, which have significant implications for India’s domestic progress, global partnerships, and the world’s common destiny.

In this article, let us examine these issues in detail and highlight India’s priorities and perspectives for the G20 summit.

Trade:

In terms of trade, India is expected to push for a multilateral trading system, which is fair, transparent, and inclusive. It is also expected to push for a system that addresses the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, protectionism, and digitalisation. According to the Observer Research Foundation, a global think tank based in New Delhi, “In the post-pandemic and post-war era, one of the most critical global challenges is ensuring equitable economic recovery. This can be done through collective action towards guaranteeing open supply chains to facilitate essential commodities, collaboration to diversify investment and production, and cooperation to support the multilateral trading system.”

In a similar vein, while addressing the opening session of the G20 Trade and Investment Ministerial Meeting (TIMM) in Jaipur, Rajasthan, Piyush Goyal, the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, and Textiles, outlined the meeting's priorities and objectives.

Goyal stated that the focus of TIMM is to reduce barriers to international trade and investment, thereby promoting productivity and economic growth. Discussions during the meeting covered various issues, including the multilateral trading system, inclusive trade, and paperless trade. Key priorities include supporting Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and recognising their role in the global economy, along with ensuring their equitable access to global trade. The importance of reforms in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to reflect the changing global economic landscape was emphasised.

Energy:

As far as energy is concerned, India is committed to enhancing its energy security as well as diversifying its energy sources, especially by promoting green hydrogen as a clean and affordable fuel. India is also keen to cooperate with other G20 countries on energy transition and clean energy technologies, as well as on reducing fossil fuel subsidies and carbon emissions.

On the 23rd of July 2023, the Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting (ETMM) took place in Goa, which aimed to accelerate clean, sustainable, just, affordable, and inclusive energy transitions to promote secure, sustainable, equitable, shared, and inclusive growth.

Energy Ministers from most G20 member countries attended the meeting physically, while those from France, Russia, and Mexico participated virtually. Guest countries and representatives from international organisations, such as ADB, Opec, World Bank, World Economic Forum, among others, were also present.

At the meeting, the Energy Ministers adopted an ambitious Outcome Document, Chair's Summary, and High-Level Voluntary Principles on Hydrogen.

"We agreed that the pace of energy transitions needs to be increased. 85 per cent of all capacity additions in the past year have been in renewables. We are also of the view that any energy transition or climate change has to happen taking into account the national circumstances of each country. We emphasised the need for sharing technology and for low-cost financing, especially for developing countries so that no one is left behind. We felt that access to energy is a major aspect to be looked at by the world community, given that 730 million people in the world do not have energy access and this needs to be urgently addressed,” Meeting Chair and Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy, R. K. Singh, stated after the meeting.

During the meeting, significant agreements and discussions also revolved around the promotion of hydrogen as a clean energy source. An accord on five hydrogen principles was reached, emphasising free and open trade to encourage the adoption of zero and low-carbon hydrogen, particularly in challenging sectors. The meeting underscored the acceleration of vital clean energy technologies, including energy storage, electrolyser manufacturing for hydrogen production, and Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) technologies for carbon dioxide emissions mitigation. Diversifying supply chains, especially concerning critical minerals, was recognised as essential, along with the improvement of grid interconnections for more efficient energy distribution. Furthermore, the International Solar Alliance launched a Green Hydrogen Innovation Centre to foster research and development in green hydrogen, aligning with the broader objective of advancing sustainable and clean energy solutions.

Tourism:

India is keen to showcase its rich and diverse cultural heritage and promote its digital public infrastructure for tourism development. India is also interested in exploring the potential of eco-tourism, rural tourism, and wellness tourism as ways to generate employment, income, and social inclusion.

The G20 Tourism Ministerial Meeting took place in Goa on the 21st of June 2023. The meet centred on reaffirming the importance of revitalising the tourism sector post-covid-19 and aligning it with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Five priority areas were identified; these were green tourism, digitalisation, skills, tourism MSMEs, and destination management.

The document stressed tourism's role in global economic growth and called for international adherence to peace and stability, emphasising diplomacy over conflict. Gender equality in tourism, digitalisation's transformative potential, and support for MSMEs and startups were highlighted. The meeting culminated in a commitment to sustainable tourism development and a proposed G20 Tourism online platform for sharing best practices towards achieving the SDGs.

In line with the commitments, the Ministry of Tourism has developed a G20 Tourism and SDG Dashboard in collaboration with the UN World Tourism Organisation, which showcases insights, case studies, and best practices from G20 countries for achieving SDGs.

Climate Change:

India is expected to highlight its ambitious climate actions and achievements, such as achieving its renewable energy target of 175 GW by 2022, enhancing its forest cover, and launching the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. India is also likely to urge the developed countries to fulfil their commitments on climate financing, technology transfer, and adaptation support for the developing countries.

The G20 summit in Delhi will be a crucial opportunity for India to demonstrate its global leadership and vision on the most pressing issues of our time. The summit will also be a test of the collective will and action of the G20 members to address the common challenges and opportunities facing the world. The potential outcomes of the summit, such as the joint declaration on climate change, the framework for economic recovery, the roadmap for achieving the SDGs, and the initiatives for gender equality, will have far-reaching implications for India's development and influence, as well as for the world's peace and prosperity. The success of the summit will depend on the spirit of cooperation, dialogue, and compromise among the G20 leaders and stakeholders. India, as the host and chair of the summit, will play a pivotal role in shaping the agenda and outcomes of the summit, and in ensuring that the G20 remains relevant and responsive to the needs and aspirations of the global community.