Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms Barbara Creecy is travelling to India to participate in the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Ministerial meeting in Chennai, India, later this week.

The Ministerial meeting will consider recommendations prepared by senior officials in the G20’s Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG).

The Indian G20 Presidency has focused on three priority issues under the ECSWG, namely:

1. Arresting land degradation and accelerating ecosystem restoration via an ecosystem-based approach, and enriching biodiversity

2. Promoting a sustainable and climate-resilient blue economy to protect the natural environment and the lives and livelihoods dependent on marine resources

3. Encouraging resource efficiency and circular economy to move towards sustainable production and consumption systems.

Climate change issues are mainstreamed in discussions across the thematic working groups of the G20 and will therefore also feature prominently in the Environment and Climate Sustainability Ministerial meeting.

South Africa has an important role to play in the G20 in advancing an ambitious environment and climate agenda in the context of sustainable development and seeks to ensure that priority issues of African and fellow developing countries are included in G20 outcomes.

In this regard, developing countries are keen to ensure that our approach to building environmental sustainability assists with addressing developmental challenges including addressing poverty and ensuring shared prosperity. The support from developed countries for the climate transition and biodiversity agendas of developing countries remains a priority.

The Group of 20 (G20) is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union.

Minister Creecy will have an opportunity in India to meet face to face with Minister Dan Jorgensen from Denmark to take forward the task assigned to the two Ministers by Dr Sultan Al Jaber, the incoming COP 28 President to facilitate discussion on the Global Stocktake. The two Ministers hope to begin consultation with some of the parties attending the G20 on an approach to the Global Stocktake.