Under the headline of “Resilience and Recovery: Highlighting Solutions for the G20 on Climate and Sustainability,” the Foundations Platform F20 and King Khalid Foundation successfully concluded their four days High-Level F20 Climate Solutions Week 2020 – back to back with the G20 Ministers of Environment in Riyadh (September 16) and some days ahead of the meeting of the G20 Ministers of Energy (September 27/28) and the 3rd G20 Sherpas Meeting (September 29/30).
During this week, international foundations emphasized the responsibility of the G20 countries to deliver on the global goals and to take action on the world’s biggest challenges. The G20 must lead on bridging the gap in climate finance and the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
All participants displayed an enormous willingness for cooperation and took a clear stand to hold the G20 countries accountable. The online format – caused by the COVID 19 pandemic – went deliberately beyond a classical video-conference format and included a number of opportunities to contribute – be it via the chat function, a virtual coffee break or separately moderated breakout sessions. All panel discussions, breakout session or high-level interventions from around the world including those from the Prime Minister of Bangladesh or the German Minister of Finance were broadcasted live in a TV-studio in Hamburg, Germany and a studio at the headquarter of the King Khalid Foundation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
A well balanced mix of high-level key note speeches, panel discussions, animated videos and a broad variety of contributions highlighted the already existing and most urgent future solutions for a Global Just Transition. Ultimately there was a clear understanding, that philanthropists and foundations should play an ambitious role in a transformation, that leaves no one behindand that they should address the challenges right and be strong change agents themselves. All sessions can be rewatched on YouTube.
As a result of this week, the F20 platform presents a communiqué, listing 14 detailed recommendations to the G20 heads of state, Ministers of Finance and Central Bank Governors of the G20 countries. The document states that the more than 60 partners of the F20 platform are fully engaged in addressing the negative effects of the severe COVID-19 crisis and highlights the close relationship with the global climate and biodiversity crisis and the need to transform the global food and health systems.