The Global South perspective through G20: recommendations from the Think Tank 20

During this year’s Brazil G20 presidency, inequalities in the Global South are a central focus of discussion. This space is an opportunity for the countries of the Global South to place their priorities on the world agenda from a perspective focused on respecting differences and joining efforts in common challenges. In this piece, we aim to outline the recommendations  of the Think Tank 20 (T20) engagement group to G20 leaders and negotiators, which were formally issued in the T20 2024 Communiqué during the Midterm Conference on July 2nd and 3rd 2024. We analyse some implications of the recommendations to Global South countries around task forces 1 and 2*: “Combating poverty, hunger and inequality”* and “Sustainable climate action and inclusive just energy transitions”.

Combating poverty, hunger and inequality

The G20 should bolster the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty proposed by Brazil, ensuring alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This promotes multilateral cooperation, leveraging financial resources and knowledge, sustainable food systems, and social protection. For the Global South, it offers opportunities for funding, technology transfer, and technical assistance, focusing on local production to reduce environmental damage and food insecurity.

Providing long-term care policies that reinforce basic human rights, and developing and professionalising the care economy are important priorities. Challenges are significantly  different from region to region, so public policies must account for this diversity. For instance, most of the Global South lags in implementing policies that promote the active participation of men in care tasks and that enable women to balance care activities with paid employment.

Regarding the unequal access to healthcare, the G20 should advocate for technology transfer and cooperation to strengthen health systems, particularly in vulnerable regions of Global South countries. This aims to address gaps by improving healthcare accessibility, enhancing pandemic readiness, linking climate change with sanitary risks, and bridging digital divides. Progressive taxation fiscal policies are also needed to strengthen social protection systems and combat inequalities, fight poverty, and social exclusion.

The G20 is prompted to foster a global initiative on data generation for quantifying systemic inequalities and informing evidence-based policies. This initiative aims to strengthen policy frameworks and accountability, particularly in the Global South, enhancing data capabilities and addressing disparities among marginalised groups.

On sustainable climate action and inclusive just energy transitions

Fostering a just dimension of energy transition involves the development of holistic transition plans, climate adaptation, biodiversity preservation, and universal access to clean and affordable energy. From our perspective at Ethos, special emphasis should be placed in the future on adaptation policies and measures, since the permanent nature of the health, climate and environmental crises forces us to structurally modify our development models, particularly for Global South countries. The G20 should foster coordination and equitable funding. It should include building institutional capacity, enhancing South-South and North-South cooperation for technology transfer, and developing grants-based finance mechanisms. This approach would benefit the low- and middle-income countries to face the challenges of decarbonization. However, cooperation must be conducted equitably, avoiding the imposition of actions and considering the characteristics of each context.

The reform of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and Multilateral Climate Funds should focus on ensuring justice and inclusiveness in funding allocation, particularly for climate adaptation. This involves simplifying finance accessibility, ensuring transparency, providing concessional funding, and standardizing allocation criteria to prioritize low-income countries, disadvantaged groups, and small businesses. These initiatives are aimed to support Global South countries to access climate finance without exacerbating financial constraints.

Placing traditional communities at the core of the design and implementation of relevant instruments involves incorporating indigenous knowledge and participatory governance in bioeconomy strategies to protect the ecosystems. Equitable benefit-sharing with indigenous people and traditional communities holds relevance for the sustainable and equitable development of Global South countries, given their cultural and territorial richness. However, it poses coordination challenges, at national and international levels.

A fairer international tax system and subsidy reusing to ensure climate justice includes establishing common roadmaps for repurposing fossil fuel subsidies, implementing fairer taxation on high-pollution corporations, and redirecting the revenue to sustainable development and climate action. This can potentially provide the means for just transitions and address the funding gaps faced by Global South countries in climate adaptation.

Standardization of social and biodiversity objectives into green taxonomies, sustainability frameworks, and ESG metrics, aims to implement social and sustainability criteria in businesses and financial institutions. Fostering sustainable supply chains, industry decarbonization, and quality job creation, benefits Global South countries. It facilitates access to financial markets and supports sustainable economic growth.

Final Remarks

Adopting the SDGs across countries with diverse contexts, cultures, policy traditions and development models remains a contentious issue. It is usually overshadowed by economic priorities and geopolitical interests. Hence, it is crucial to foster a justice-centred approach, prioritising cooperation to meet the specific needs of each country, as well as promoting fair funding to the Global South.

The recent and near future presidencies of the G20 mark a period in which Global South countries are increasingly playing a significant role in global decision-making. The T20 contributes to this direction. It highlights opportunities for the inclusion and participation of countries that have been historically negatively affected by capitalism and globalization. It is through unified efforts that they can better advocate their interests, address common challenges and contribute to shape a more equitable and sustainable global landscape.