A G20 drama: no agreement on ending fossil fuels

Enrique Dans
Enrique Dans
Published in
2 min readSep 11, 2023

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IMAGE: The G20 2023 logo stained with oil dripping from the top
IMAGE: E. Dans (CC0)

The G20 Summit of 2023 in New Delhi is generating significant discussion primarily for two reasons. Firstly, the invitation extended to the African Union to become a permanent member of the group, recognizing the continent’s pivotal role in the world’s future. Secondly, the countries gathered there have committed to tripling their investments in renewable energy development. However, a crucial aspect remains unresolved: there is no consensus on setting a date for the phasing out of fossil fuels, the true scourge of humanity and the root cause of the climate emergency we are currently experiencing.

A planet without a definitive end date for the use of fossil fuels is a planet destined for catastrophe. This fact is understood by the world’s wealthiest nations and all others, despite their misguided attempts to deny it, often arguing that “the economy cannot be stopped.” On the contrary, the agreement to triple investments in renewable energy not only ensures significant economic activity and job creation, but also guarantees that all the energy we need can be generated sustainably.

Nevertheless, due to some short-sighted and self-destructive reasoning, we continue to avoid setting a deadline for the cessation of fossil fuel use. What’s more, we are still subsidizing the companies that produce them with substantial public funds, a…

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Enrique Dans
Enrique Dans

Professor of Innovation at IE Business School and blogger (in English here and in Spanish at enriquedans.com)