The G20 summit in South Africa adopted its final declaration on Saturday despite a US boycott and strong American opposition. Leaders approved the document using climate-focused language that Washington had rejected. South Africa said the text was final and would not be renegotiated.
The declaration highlights the urgency of climate change, supports renewable energy targets, and notes the heavy debt burden on poorer nations. These points have long clashed with the Trump administration’s stance. US officials had warned they would block any reference to climate commitments, but envoys completed the draft without US input on Friday.
Read more: G20 draft declaration ready despite US absence
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said there was overwhelming support for the declaration. He praised delegations for working “in good faith” to secure a strong outcome. He also stressed that nothing should undermine the impact of Africa’s first G20 presidency. The summit’s adoption followed what officials described as an intense week of negotiations.
Tensions rose after Trump refused to attend the summit, repeating discredited claims that South Africa’s Black-majority government persecutes white citizens. His administration also rejected the host nation’s agenda, which focuses on global solidarity, climate resilience, and easing debt pressures on developing countries.
Read more: US confirms it will not attend G20 summit in South Africa
The boycott threatened to overshadow the summit, yet South Africa pushed ahead. The G20 chair will pass to the United States in 2026, but Ramaphosa noted he would hand it over to an “empty chair” due to the US absence. South Africa also declined Washington’s offer to send a chargé d’affaires for the formal handover.