G20 Energy Officials Edit Draft Statement on Phasing Down Fossil Fuels

A draft statement by Group of 20 (G20) energy officials was edited on Saturday to reflect concerns from some members on phasing down "unabated" fossil fuels.

The original draft had called for "the importance of making efforts towards phase down of unabated fossil fuels, in line with different national circumstances." However, this language was met with opposition from major fossil fuel producers Saudi Arabia and Russia.

In the revised draft, the phrase "abatement and removal technologies" was added to the statement. This refers to carbon capture and removal technologies, which are designed to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it underground.

It is not yet clear who expressed concerns about the earlier language, or why they were opposed to phasing down unabated fossil fuels. However, the inclusion of the phrase "abatement and removal technologies" suggests that some G20 members are still reluctant to commit to a full phase-out of fossil fuels.

G20 chair statements are typically edited multiple times before a final version is presented at the end of a conference. The draft for the meeting in the western state of Goa was still being edited as of Saturday, and it is unclear when a final version will be released.

The meeting's chair, Indian Electricity Minister R.K. Singh, is expected to brief the media about the G20 conference later on Saturday.