US trying to water down G20 text on lowering emissions, say charities

Donald Trump is being accused of trying to water down the wording of a G20 draft communique about climate change, with US and EU officials expected to clash over the issue in talks expected to stretch through the night.

One section of the draft, seen by the Guardian, took note of the US decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement on climate change, but added: “The United States affirms its strong commitment to a global approach that lowers emissions while supporting economic growth and improving energy security needs.”

That sentence has since been removed and the US is trying to introduce a new phrase that has angered other countries, and also campaigners, because it refers to fossil fuels.

It says: “Given the importance of energy access and security in the nationally determined contributions of other countries, the United States of America will endeavour to work closely with other partners to help their access to and use of fossil fuels more cleanly and efficiently and help deploy renewable and other clean energy sources.”

Sources said that diplomats from France, Italy and the EU more generally were working to block the addition, while Angela Merkel admitted that discussions on climate change and trade would be difficult. The German chancellor said they would stretch “through the night” but that was not unusual for such negotiations.

Max Lawson, a senior policy adviser at Oxfam, said: “Ending climate change is about ending harmful fossil fuels. The US is attempting to force language into the communique on planet-destroying, dirty energy. Clean coal is a myth. The remaining G19 should show some backbone and stand up to him.”

Jennifer Morgan, the executive director of Greenpeace International, added: “The G19 needs to stand together and make it very clear it will implement Paris and strengthen their climate action no matter what Trump says or does. They have a responsibility and an opportunity to move forward swiftly.”

All world leaders gathering at the G20Summit in Hamburg with the exception of the US plan to assert the irreversibility of their decision to commit to carbon reduction targets under the Paris accord.

The news came as it emerged Trump was holding his high-profile bilateral meeting with Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, at the same time the G20 group will be having a formal session on climate change.

Many leaders have expressed their disappointment at Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement, with Theresa May claiming on Friday morning that she hopes “they will be able to find a way to come back into the Paris agreement”.

Using stronger language than previously, the UK prime minister added: “I believe that is possible. We are not renegotiating the Paris agreement. That stays.”

The joint communique notes, but does not condemn, the US decision to withdraw, instead claiming the US is committed to cutting carbon emissions by other routes. The communique also calls for the commitments made under the Paris treaty to be implemented swiftly.