Johannesburg, Nov 23: Leaders at the 20th G20 Summit reached broad consensus on disaster resilience, debt sustainability, energy transitions and critical minerals as they adopted the G20 South Africa Summit’s Leaders’ Declaration on Saturday. The summit, held for the first time in Africa, is taking place in Johannesburg under the theme Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability.
The declaration warns that global crises are slowing progress on sustainable development and stretching national and international response systems. Leaders called for integrated, people-focused strategies and stressed stronger disaster preparedness, especially for small island states and least developed countries.
Energy access remained a key concern. The declaration notes that more than 600 million people in Africa still lack electricity. Leaders backed efforts to triple global renewable energy capacity and double energy-efficiency gains by 2030. They urged greater investment and low-cost financing for developing countries, along with voluntary technology sharing on mutually agreed terms.
On critical minerals, the G20 endorsed a new framework offering a voluntary guide to build sustainable and transparent supply chains. Leaders said mineral resources should support value-addition and broad-based development, not remain limited to raw material exports. The declaration affirms the right of producing countries to use their natural wealth for inclusive growth.
The document reflects a shared view that global challenges require coordinated and fair approaches, with developing nations placed at the centre of the conversation.
