G20 environmental talks open in South Africa

The third and final G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) Technical and Ministerial Meetings kicked off on Monday in Cape Town.



Opening the ECSWG meeting, South African Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Dion George said the deliberations this week would lay the groundwork for the adoption of the ECSWG Ministerial Declaration, also to be known as the Cape Town Declaration.



The declaration would represent the first G20 environmental outcome crafted on African soil and serve as "a blueprint for practical cooperation, rooted in evidence and focused on delivery," he said.



According to the minister, the declaration would affirm three commitments: accelerating implementation of existing international agreements; deepening cooperation between developed and developing countries through finance, technology, and capacity support; and strengthening transparency and accountability across all areas of environmental action.