The G20 summit wrapped up In New Delhi on September 10, 2023, closing with what appeared to be a big win for India. As well as gaining endorsement from all members for its declaration, the host country emerged as a more influential global power, including as a leader of the Global South, which pushed for a softer stance on Russia. Under the theme of “One Earth, One Family, One Future,” topics such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, food security, climate and energy, economic development, health, and digitalization were the main areas of focus.  

 

Notably absent were China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, who both sent senior delegates. Attending in Xi's place, Chinese Premier Li Qiang kept his speech high-level, focusing on the need for international unity and cooperation. By contrast, the United States and India seemed to have made the most of Xi’s absence to deepen ties and proactively promote US-led multilateral lending to counter China’s infrastructure diplomacy.  

 

Climate change was high on the agenda. However, while G20 leaders reiterated their pledge to act promptly to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 globally, they failed to reach consensus on phasing out fossil fuels, prompting disappointment among UN members.