US pullout from climate deal casts shadow on G20 summit

NEW DELHI: The US decision to withdraw from the Paris climate deal has put the other G20 members in a tight spot, especially given Washington's protectionist stance on the other key agenda item - global trade.

The heads of the world's 20 top economies, including the US, China, and India are due to meet in Hamburg in early July. But the latest announcement from US President Trump has raised questions over how they word the highly diplomatic communique.

While Trump had flagged his opposition to the climate deal during the presidential campaign, during the last G20 meeting, the US representatives did not provide a clear response to the American stance. "Now we have to see how to tackle this issue," said a source.


Similarly, on trade, Trump has been critical of the World Trade Organisation and the agreements that it administers. In addition, the US has taken several protectionist measures, including a major overhaul of the visa regime, which has not gone down well with several countries, including India. In fact, in recent months, China has been talking more about on free trade, while the US has focused on "fair trade" as it seeks to woo its domestic constituency.

Given the G20 position against protectionism, it will again be a tightrope walk for the leaders. In any case, several observers see the G20 as a talk shop where the leaders pose for photographs without focusing on actual deliverables. The grouping had shot into prominence and became a forum to tackle the impact of the 2008 global financial crisis. But since then it has taken on several diverse issues.

The G20 comprises the largest and emerging economies, which account for 85% of global gross domestic product and 75% of world trade. The US, the UK, the European Union, India, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada and China are members, among other countries.