Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) rated the climate decisions of the G20 summit in Rome as a success.

The fact that the group of the world's strongest economies agreed in principle to support the 1.5 percent target in reducing greenhouse gases was a “very, very good result,” said Merkel in Rome.

The G20 group thus sent a “good signal” for the world climate conference in Glasgow.

Merkel also called the decision that the G20 states want to withdraw from the international financing of coal-fired power plants as "important".

She was delighted that after the change of government in the USA, all members of the G20 are once again committed to the Paris climate agreement.

"I can say that a lot has been achieved here."

Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) was also satisfied with the climate decisions in Rome.

"I am firmly convinced that you can see here that the world is moving in the right direction," he said in a joint press conference with the Chancellor.

"But we are still a long way from reaching our goal."

No clear target date for carbon dioxide neutrality

At the end of their G-20 summit in Rome, however, the major economic powers were unable to agree on a more ambitious declaration on climate protection.

As can be seen from the negotiated text for the communiqué, there is still no clear target date for the important carbon dioxide neutrality and the phase-out from coal-fired power generation.

The document was available to the German Press Agency on Sunday.

Instead of the hoped-for “strong signal” at the start of the World Climate Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, there was disagreement until the very end.

Climate activists said they were "disappointed" because the G-20 group is responsible for 80 percent of emissions.

While the year 2050 should be set specifically for “net zero emissions of greenhouse gases or carbon dioxide neutrality” at the beginning, the target is now only generally “up to or around the middle of the century”.

This means that only as many emissions are emitted as can be bound.

The withdrawal was apparently out of consideration for China and Russia, which are not aiming for the target until 2060.

India does not want to commit itself.

Lavrov: Not with empty promises

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov did not defend the goal of carbon dioxide neutrality until 2060. “We have announced that we will not achieve CO2 neutrality later than 2060,” Lavrov said at a press conference in Rome on Sunday.

"This is our calculated obligation, and we adhere to it."

"Nobody has proven to us or anyone else that 2050 is something that everyone has to sign," Lavrov said.

Russia does not want to work with "empty ambitions and empty promises".

In view of the dramatic corona situation in Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not personally travel to Rome, but only connected via video.

No more "immediate action" in the text

There was also no longer any agreement on “immediate action”, as it was called in an initial draft. There is now less urgency about “meaningful and effective action”. Only in general does the G20 affirm that they are still committed to the goals of the Paris Agreement of keeping global warming “well below two degrees and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees”. However, experts believe that a significant improvement in the action plans of the individual countries is necessary.

A coal exit is not even mentioned directly.

The commitment to phase out investments in coal-fired power plants is also not very specific.

If that originally happened "in the 2030s", the year will be missing in the final communiqué.

It is now being envisaged “as soon as possible”.

This could mean that consideration has again been given to China or India, which rely heavily on coal for their electricity generation and are difficult to meet demand.

However, the G 20 committed itself to no longer using public funds to support the construction of coal-fired power plants abroad by the end of this year.