Building a Sustainable Future

Future Horizons Institute was selected by the T20,  an engagement group that brings together think tanks and research centres, to submit a policy  brief with recommendations for G20 members, in the context of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in November 2024. 
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The 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28) presented the first "global stocktake" of the Paris Agreement, revealing that the world is not on track to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.  An estimated 23% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from agriculture, forestry and other land use.
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Food security and the energy transition play a key part in global trade and investment, with important environmental and social consequences for countries in the Global South as producers and exporters of agricultural and mineral commodities. The competition for land and water use poses specific challenges for the livelihood of local communities; Moreover, exports of minerals and food commodities share the same logistical corridors and infrastructure, both of which are highly needed in Global South countries to serve global markets.  Yet, the nexus between food security, energy transition and environmental justice for Global South countries and local communities is often absent in public policies and trade agreements.
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G20 countries account for more than 80% of greenhouse gas emissions, 75% of global trade and two-thirds of the world's population. Therefore, the sheer scale of trade links among G20 members and their accumulated experience can also provide opportunities, especially given the role of Asian, African and Latin American countries in agricultural and mineral trade relations.
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Our policy brief is part of the work of Task Force 4 - Trade and investment for sustainable and inclusive growth, co-chaired by Fundação Getúlio Vargas (Brazil) and the Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS- Germany).  Key highlights include: 
 
- A review of the evidence on best practices and lessons learned from trade in selected agricultural commodities and minerals.​
- A discussion of the trade-offs inherent in land use policy decisions, including environmental and social impacts on local communities. Examples are drawn from experiences in the Global South.
 - Recommendations for key sectors that contribute to G20 efforts to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, the Montreal-Kunming Global Biodiversity Framework and the G20 Global Land Initiative.
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The G20 consists of Argentina, Australia, Brasil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Russia, Turkey, UK and USA , and includes also the African Union and the European Union.  For more information, please visit G20 Brasil 2024  and  T20 Brasil.

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