It’s been a day of two halves at Brisbane. While the leaders talked in private, there was a long wait for the media. Most of the early excitement was generated by Australia’s koala diplomacy, where the marsupials were pressed on a string of world leaders. If you missed our picture gallery you can catch up with the cuddling here.
Later, though, it became clear who the summit’s losers were, as the event wound up. Vladimir Putin left early, insisting first of all that he to get some sleep before starting work in Moscow on Monday, before it emerged that the Russian president had had enough after under sustained pressure over his support for the separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Tony Abbott, the summit’s host, had to accept climate change onto the agenda. After pressure from Barack Obama, the language on the subject was toughened up in the final communique, including a call for contributions to the international green climate fund that the prime minister has previously derided and for the “phasing out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies”.
The Australian prime minister had to console himself by telling fellow leaders that as the leader of a major coal producer he would be “standing up for coal”.
Patrick Wintour has filed more on David Cameron’s press conference. Here’s what he writes:
David Cameron has signalled he will take on the trade union opponents of the US-EU trade deal, insisting their arguments that it would lead to the privatisation of the health service were “bogus nonsense”.
The prime minister said the EU and the US president, Barack Obama, had agreed to speed up the negotiations aimed at achieving a transatlantic trade and investment partnership (TTIP).
It was “time to take on some of the opponents of this deal and expose the arguments against it”, he said.
“This is good for Britain – good for growth and British families.”
Sections of the trade union movement, campaign groups and and parts of the Labour party are virulently opposed to the deal, claiming it will undermine the NHS and expose it to private sector competition.
You can read the full story here.
Looks like Barack Obama is already off, judging by these pictures. There were around 100 security personnel guarding the Marine One helicopter as it waited for US President, according to Australia’s Channel Nine News.
Updated
Earlier, at his closing press conference, David Cameron refused to comment on reports suggesting the British Islamic State fighter believed to have been partly responsible for executing hostages in Syria has been injured or even killed in allied airstrikes in northern Syria.
He added that people should be “in no doubt” that he wanted the fighter to “face justice”. He added: “If people travel to Syria or Iraq in order to conduct terror operations against British people or British citizens and people back in Britain, they are putting themselves in harm’s way and they should not be in any doubt about that.”
Putin left after hours of browbeating over Ukraine
My colleague Patrick Wintour has more information about why Vladimir Putin left early. The Russian president said he had to get back to Moscow to work, but is also thought to have had enough after enduring hours of browbeating by a succession of Western leaders urging him to drop his support for secessionists in eastern Ukraine.
Putin had individually met five European leaders including David Cameron and Angela Merkel where he refused to give ground over Ukraine. The meeting with the German chancellor went on until 2am last night. Full story is coming shortly.
Updated
Obama has moved, now I’ll do the same. Thanks for staying with us. My colleague Dan Sabbagh will steer you through the final hours of this conference, which are sure to see lots of in-depth analysis of the Brisbane Action Plan that was announced two hours ago.
G20 leaders have approved a package of 800 measures estimated to increase their economic output by at least 2.1% by 2018 if fully implemented, my colleague Daniel Hurst writes.
At the end of the two-day summit in Brisbane, Australia, leaders representing 85% of the world’s economy also called for “strong and effective action” on climate change, with countries urged to reveal new emissions reduction targets in the first few months of next year.
Australia, the host nation, had wanted to keep the summit focused on economic growth rather than climate change, but new commitments by China, the US andJapan helped build momentum for stronger global action to curb greenhouse gases.
The host prime minister, Tony Abbott, said the summit had “very substantially delivered” on the goals of Australia’s presidency: boosting growth and employment, enhancing global economic resilience and strengthening global institutions.
Obama is now being asked about reports that the United States is re-evaluating its Syria strategy, and specifically whether it is considering some kind of alliance with country’s dicator, Bashar Al-Assad, in light of the rise of the militia group Islamic State.
“Certainly no changes have taken place with respect to our attitude towards Bashar Al-Assad,” Obama replies. “Assad has ruthlessly murdered hundreds of thousands of his citizens and a consequence has completely lost legitimacy with the majority of the country.”
“For us to then make common cause with him against Isil would only turn more Sunnis in Syria in the direction of supporting Isil, and would weaken our coalition, that sends a message around the region, this isn’t a fight against Sunni Islam, it’s a fight against any extremists,” he says.
Aboriginal activists burned effigies of prominent Indigenous figures Noel Pearson and Warren Mundine on the final day of protests during the G20 summit in Brisbane, my colleague Josh Robertson writes.
Wayne Wharton, the Brisbane Aboriginal sovereign embassy (Base) leader, told a rally of about 100 people the pair were “elitist sellouts”, as a crowd circled burning figures labelled “King Noel Pearson” and “King Warren Mundine”.
Protesters also burned the Australian flag and an effigy of Indigenous academic Marcia Langton, labelled “Queen Marcia Langton”.
The protest again highlighted the hostility of grassroots activists towards Pearson, a Cape York lawyer, and Mundine, a former national Australian Labor party president, and their perception by mainstream Australia.
Side note: When Obama walked in, every US reporter stood up. All the Australian reporters stayed seated.
— Mark Di Stefano (@MarkDiStef) November 16, 2014
“It is not our preference to see Russia as isolated as it is,” Obama says. “But we’re also very firm on the need to uphold core international principles. And one of those principles is that you don’t invade other countries.”
He adds that economic sanctions on Russia are having a “devastating impact” and “biting plenty good”.
Obama is running through the summit’s achievements on trade, climate change and ebola, saying the week saw “historic steps towards a cleaner and healthier planet”.
The US president is also saying he has several discussions with Russian president Vladimir Putin at the G20 and last week at Beijing’s APEC summit. “I would characterise them as typical of our interactions, which are business-like and blunt,” Obama says.
Updated
We’re now hearing from US president Barack Obama, who begins by telling reporters the summit “wasn’t just a good old chin wag”, adding “I really love that expression”.
UK prime minister David Cameron is now fronting reporters in Brisbane, saying world leaders at the summit made it “very clear to Russia that the continued destabilisation of Ukraine is simply unacceptable”.
He says the response to Russia’s aggression is going to be “a test of the stamina and a test of the political will of the US and the countries of the EU. I think we will meet that test, I think we have done so so far”.
“President Putin can see he is at a crossroads,” he says.
“There is a different path that he could take. He could recognise, as he put it to me last night, that Ukraine is a single political space and recognise that that single political space has to be respected,” he says.
That would see “sanctions eased, a proper relationship between Britain and Europe on the one hand, and Russia on the other ... an altogether better future”, he says.
Reporters are pressing the PM on the Green Climate Fund, and whether Australia will contribute any money to it. He’s also been questioned on reports in Guardian Australia that he declared he was “standing up for coal” in discussions with world leaders this morning.
“This is one of the funds that G20 countries are interested in contributing to. It’s not the only fund but it’s certainly one of the funds, and that’s why it’s there in the communique,” Abbott says.
“We are all going to approach this in our own way obviously.”
“As for coal, without going into the details of who said what to whom ... I should remind everyone that right now there are 1.3b people right around the globe who have no access to electricity,” he says.
“How can those people have a decent living standard without access to electricity ... Coal is going to be an important part of that for decades to come,” he says.
He also makes reference to the US-China climate deal that was reached on Wednesday, which stipulated that 20% of China’s energy mix by 2030 would come from non-fossil fuels, pointing out that the remaining 80% is still likely to come from coal.
He’s also been asked about Vladimir Putin’s reported remarks to Russian media that he found Abbott to be “business-like” and “professional”.
“I’m happy to be on a unity ticket with Vladimir Putin on that subject,” Abbott says. “All of us want stronger growth, and certainly growth will be much stronger than it otherwise would have been, as a result of the agreements made at this G20 conference.”
Asked about the status of his relationship with Putin, “and whether Australians will be happy to see him go”, Abbott said he appreciated the opportunity to speak “candidly” and “robustly” with the Russian leader.
“Now I have some differences with the Russian government obviously. I utterly deplore what seems to be happening in eastern Ukraine. I demand that Russia fully cooperate with the criminal investigation into the downing of MH17, one of the most terrible atrocities,” he says.
“I had very robust discussions about MH17 with Vladimir Putin. Other leaders had very robust discussions with Mr Putin.”
“When all is said and done, president Putin was a guest in our country. President Putin is a member of the G20 and I was happy to treat him with respect and courtesy while he was in Australia,” Abbott says.
Updated
Abbott has just been asked whether Australia will commit to new carbon emissions targets ahead of next year’s Paris conference, and whether Australia will contribute anything to the Green Climate Fund, something which the PM has previously derided as a “Bob Brown Bank”.
He replied: “Australia has always believed that climate change is real and humanity makes a contribution and strong and effective action against it should be taken.”
“This government has just passed through the parliament to put into effect our emissions reduction fund ... We’re not just talking about taking action against climate change, we’re cracking on with the job,” he says.
“Australia is a high performer on actually delivering on real action,” he says.
“We’ll be making further decisions at the right time and what we want to do is take effective action against climate change which is consistent with continued strong economic growth, continues jobs growth, and continues development,” he says.
We’ve just obtained a copy of the 2014 G20 communique. Here’s the much-anticipated and squabbled-over passage on climate change:
We support strong and effective action to address climate change. Consistent with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its agreed outcomes, our actions will support sustainable development, economic growth, and certainty for business and investment. We will work together to adopt successfully a protocol, another legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force under the UNFCCC that is applicable to all parties at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris in 2015.
We encourage parties that are ready to communicate their intended nationally determined contributions well in advance of COP21 (by the first quarter of 2015 for those parties ready to do so). We reaffirm our support for mobilising finance for adaptation and mitigation, such as the Green Climate Fund.
Updated
“Of course, it goes without saying, that all of us support strong and effective action to address climate change,” Abbott says.
“Our actions will support sustainable development, economic growth, and of course we will all work constructively towards the climate change conference in Paris next year.”
Abbott has also announced that China will be the G20 host in 2016, after Turkey completes its presidency next year.
Updated
Abbott has also touched (briefly) on rules to tighten up global cooperation on tax to ensure societies received the tax revenue “that is their due”, Abbott says.
He’s also mentioned reforms “to make derivative markets safer” and said the G20 has “endorsed landmark energy principles which will ensure access to affordable and reliable energy for all”.
Abbott says the G20 has committed to a “peer-reviewed growth package that, if implemented, will achieve a 2.1% increase in global growth over the next give years on top of business as usual”.
It’s called the Brisbane Action Plan, and contains 800 separate reform measures, including a global infrastructure hub to be based in Sydney. They’ve also agreed to a plan to reduce the gap between men and women in the workforce by “25% over the next 10 years. This has the potential to bring 100m into the global workforce,” he says.
The prime minister, Tony Abbott, has begun speaking, calling the G20 the most “influential and significant gathering that’s ever been held in our country”.
He says the summit has achieved “real, practical outcomes” and that “people, right around the world are going to be better off, and that’s what it’s all about”.
Updated
More exclusive details from Lenore Taylor in this updated story about how this morning’s meetings, in which Australia’s prime minister, Tony Abbott, told world leaders he was “standing up for coal”.
Abbott opened the closed-door discussion on energy on Sunday morning by telling the world leaders that “as the world’s largest producer of coal, I’d like to stand up for coal”, sources told Guardian Australia.
Several leaders, including the French president, François Hollande, made strong statements in support of immediate action on climate change and commitments to the green climate fund, to which Barack Obama pledged $3bn on Saturday. Abbott then wrapped up the climate discussion he had hoped not to have by saying he was glad the leaders had had a chance to discuss energy efficiency.
He remarked that a “good economy is good for the environment” and urged countries to focus on the development of “clean coal” technology and efficient coal and energy use.
After bitter behind-the-scenes discussions and fierce opposition from Australia – as revealed by Guardian Australia – a reference encouraging countries to promise money to funds such as the green climate fund was included in the G20s final communique.
A revised press conference schedule courtesy of Daniel Hurst. PM Abbott schedule to begin speaking within minutes.
Quote from the G20 koala: "That's just like Vladimir Putin - he shoots, meets and leaves" #G20Brisbane #G20
— Warren Murray (@WarrenNMurray) November 16, 2014
As we reported earlier, Jimbelung, the two-year-old female koala who gave Putin his warmest reception at the summit, is now destined for a wildlife park in Japan.
My colleague Daniel Hurst reports that treasurer Joe Hockey, finance minister Mathias Cormann and foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop have taken their seats in the audience ahead of Tony Abbott’s address to the media.
Meanwhile the Courier Mail’s Jason Tin has marked yet another step by Vegemite towards world domination:
One of US President Barack Obama's Secret Service agents has developed a taste for Vegemite - just bought a jar at convenience store #G20
— Jason Tin (@jasonthetin) November 16, 2014
It's been a big few days at #G20 some journalists are a bit tuckered out. pic.twitter.com/w8setJQiHv
— Kerrin Binnie (@kerrinbinnie) November 16, 2014
It’s not just Vlad feeling the lack of sleep, as my colleague Daniel Hurst points out.
“A tired Vladimir Putin has left Brisbane’s G20 praising the summit’s ‘constructive atmosphere’ and saying the reported fallout between him and leaders of Western countries were exaggerated by the media,” writes my colleague Ben Doherty in Brisbane.
He goes on:
Putin was the first world leader to leave Australia, his jet taking off shortly after 2pm local time.
The Russian president told reporters from his own country he was the first to go because he had to get back to Moscow to work, and he needed “four or five hours sleep”.
But Putin remained defiant over Russian interests in Ukraine, saying Kiev’s economic blockade of the separatist east was “a big mistake”, though “not fatal”.
“I don’t understand why Kiev authorities are cutting off those territories with their own hands. Well one can understand – to save money. But it’s not the time or the case to save money on,” he said.
Meanwhile, we await a press conference by the Australian prime minister, Tony Abbott, which should begin any minute now.
Updated
Exclusive: Tony Abbott tells leaders he is "standing up for coal"
Another big scoop from my colleague Lenore Taylor: Tony Abbott has told a G20 leaders’ discussion on energy he was “standing up for coal”, as the Queensland government prepares to unveil new infrastructure spending to help the development of Australia’s largest coal mine.
During the closed-door discussion on energy on Sunday morning, Abbott told the world leaders that “as the world’s largest producer of coal, I’d like to stand up for coal”, sources told Guardian Australia. Abbott, who recently said coal was “good for humanity”, also endorsed the mine, proposed by the Indian company Adani, to the meeting.
Updated
Trade union leaders have complained they have been subject to an effective lockout from the heart of G20 discussions by Tony Abbott, my colleague Patrick Wintour writes.
Frances O’Grady, the general secretary of the British Trades Union Congress, said the Australian prime minister had downgraded the status of labour leaders attending the summit in an unprecedented manner, forcing them to seek individual meetings with world leaders because they did not hold equal status alongside the business group.
Putin bids goodbye to Brisbane
Here’s the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, departing Brisbane airport just now.
My colleague Ben Doherty writes:
Vladimir has left for the airport, he spoke to Russian reporters before he left, praising the ‘constructive atmosphere’ of the G20 and saying reports of a rift between he and Western leaders were exaggerations of the media.
He has to leave straight away because he has to get back to Moscow, and to work, he said.
Updated
It’s a brutally hot 37 degrees in Brisbane at the moment, just as the Washington Post reports that last month was the hottest October on record, keeping 2014 on track to be the warmest year ever recorded. Read it and weep.
Do svidaniya, gospodin Putin
A farewell wave and a smile from Russian President Vladimir Putin as he departs his hotel for the airport pic.twitter.com/0y171H3W4H
— Alex Ellinghausen (@ellinghausen) November 16, 2014
Information now filtering in about what Russian president Vladimir Putin told Russian reporters at a press conference at his hotel.
Putin says G20 atmosphere was good, blames Australian media for rumors of discontent #G20 #Putin
— Stephanie Burnett (@Stephy_Burnett) November 16, 2014
Translation of latest RT: "Putin: Talk about Ukraine at bilateral meetings were frank , informative and helpful" #G20
— Erienne Lette (@ErienneLette) November 16, 2014
RT @Anna_Iva_RT - Putin: The Prime Minister of Australia, has created a favorable atmosphere for teamwork #G20
— Erienne Lette (@ErienneLette) November 16, 2014
RT @Anna_Iva_RT -"Putin: Mr Abbott's experience is very good. He's a good moderator and professional partner" #G20
— Erienne Lette (@ErienneLette) November 16, 2014
Translation: RT @Anna_Iva_RT "Putin: I believe that our job is finished and completed with success" #G20
— Erienne Lette (@ErienneLette) November 16, 2014
Putin explains why he didn't attend Sunday #G20 breakfast: sent Finance Minister because of tight sched, said Abbott was understanding
— Stephanie Burnett (@Stephy_Burnett) November 16, 2014
Presented without comment:
#G20 RT @BuzzFeedOz: This Vine Shows Obama Getting Handshake Blanked At #G20Brisbane https://t.co/DpVb8PVfkg
— ABC Radio Brisbane (@612brisbane) November 16, 2014
ABC News is reporting that Russian president Vladimir Putin has finished his press conference and will be flying out of Brisbane in about 20 minutes, which his staff say was always the plan, and not a reaction to the frosty reception he’s received from other G20 leaders.
Russian Россия planes preparing to leave Brisbane. #G20 #Putin @abcnews pic.twitter.com/6ZGaRLvg1F
— David Lewis (@dlewis89) November 16, 2014
Updated
It’s been a quiet-ish couple of hours as leaders get down to business inside Brisbane’s convention centre, but we’re bracing for an afternoon of press conferences and the release of the summit’s communique. Here’s the schedule - all in Brisbane time.
So we can expect to hear from Tony Abbott in about an hour.
Updated
My colleague Ben Doherty passes on that Russian president Vladimir Putin has returned to his hotel to speak to Russian reporters and may be leaving Brisbane within the hour, without fronting up to Western media.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has returned to his #G20 hotel. Rumoured to be leaving Brisbane within an hour or so pic.twitter.com/339zgal5Fe
— Luke Royes (@lukeroyes) November 16, 2014
Ben says Putin’s advisers are not answering calls.
Channel Nine’s Alex Bernhardt says she tried to get into Putin’s presser but was denied access.
Just tried to get into Putin press conference. Spotted we were Aus media and access denied. @9NewsBrisbane #9News
— Alex Bernhardt (@ABernhardt9) November 16, 2014
Updated
Protests are starting to kick up again, including a 300-strong march through Brisbane that commenced by setting the Australian flag alight.
All that's left of an Australian flag after anti-G20 protesters set it on fire ahead of their march through the city. pic.twitter.com/nZbvdAvDXX
— 7News Brisbane (@7NewsBrisbane) November 16, 2014
The flag has actually held up rather well, if you ask me. It’s also being lofted upside down by demonstrators:
Anti-G20 protesters march through #Brisbane city with the Australian flag upside down. #G20 #7News pic.twitter.com/Y9k4PwA3cJ
— 7News Brisbane (@7NewsBrisbane) November 16, 2014
Last koala photo, I promise. But these are fighting words from New Zealand’s prime minister John Key:
After what the Kiwis did to Australia in the league final, there was some hesitation on the koala's part. pic.twitter.com/WHQreVPI4T
— John Key (@johnkeypm) November 16, 2014
I'm told that Prime Minister Tony Abbott is privately "seething" at Obama's speech yesterday. To be expected I suppose...
— Peter van Onselen (@vanOnselenP) November 16, 2014
All eyes now on whether the G20 communique, set to be released within hours, will include strong references to climate change and especially the new Green Climate Fund established by the United States.
Police pat a punter's hot and tired pooch at South Bank as Operation Good Cop continues at #G20 pic.twitter.com/y6M1T3w3w8
— Greg Stolz (@GregStolzJourno) November 16, 2014
Reports are that protests are way down on yesterday; as yet no arrests.
Like yesterday, they’re covering the gamut of issues, including Hong Kong’s so-called umbrella revolution:
The #UmbrellaRevolution has come to Brisbane. Hopefully there's more brollies on the way. #G20Brisbane #G20 pic.twitter.com/NyeeQJH862
— Kieran Rooney (@KieranRooneyCM) November 16, 2014
This protest is a little bit busier. Oromo protesters calling for independence from Ethiopia. #G20Brisbane #g20 pic.twitter.com/2DLK3umk2H
— Kieran Rooney (@KieranRooneyCM) November 16, 2014
Updated
Crucial update here: The Koala who posed with Putin has been identified as 2-year-old female called Jimbelung. She’s also destined for a wildlife park in Japan, according to the White House pool report. It also treats us to some frightening imagery involving the Queensland premier, Campbell Newman:
Jimbelung, the 2-year-old female koala who posed for pictures with POTUS and Vladimir Putin on Saturday, made a brief appearance in the G20 press center, making reporters forget about fiscal stimulus for a few minutes. The koala, who munched eucalyptus contentedly, is being sent from a wildlife park here to Japan as a gift.
The animal’s handler said Jimbelung, which means friend, was too tired after her bilats with Putin and Obama to pose for pictures with the pool, but he made an exception when the premier of Queensland, Campbell Newman, showed up with outstretched arms and a retinue of local media.
Updated
#koaladiplomacy had a long history pic.twitter.com/O3yZ4i2IFv
— Chip Rolley (@ChipRolley) November 15, 2014
The New York Times has some more details of the wrangling over climate change, which has threatened to sideline the Abbott government’s agenda for this G20 summit.
“You’ve got to be able to overcome old divides, look squarely at the science and reach a strong global climate agreement next year,” Mr. Obama said. “If China and the United States can agree on this, then the world can agree on this. We can get this done.”
Mr. Obama’s words carried an extra edge in Australia, where Prime Minister Tony Abbott is a blunt skeptic about the science behind climate change. He boasted to the leaders gathered for the meeting that his government had repealed a tax on carbon emissions — a key tool to curb the greenhouse gases that heat up the atmosphere.
Mr. Abbott tried to keep climate change off the agenda at the Group of 20 meeting, preferring to focus on jobs and economic growth. But Mr. Obama’s $3 billion pledge to the Green Climate Fund, announced in his speech here, made that difficult.
Mr. Obama seemed well aware of what he was doing. Australia and the United States, he said, both have bad track records on carbon emissions because they share a frontier tradition and an abundance of fossil fuels — “which means,” he said, “we’ve got to step up.”
That line drew a burst of applause from the audience. Australian officials listened respectfully but left little doubt where they stood afterward.
“Australia is a resources-exporting economy: coal, gas, uranium,” said Tim Nicholls, the treasurer and minister of trade of the State of Queensland. “We think a sensible debate is absolutely necessary, but we also think there is a future for coal, as there is for gas.”
Updated
Australia resisting inclusion of Green Climate Fund in G20 communique
Australia is quietly fighting the US and EU to keep the G20 from making a strong statement on climate change action, Lenore Taylor writes in an extraordinary scoop:
Initially Australia didn’t want climate change in the G20 communique at all. Then it spent weeks fighting to keep the language vague.
Now, Guardian Australia can reveal the original text of the end of summit statement, the revised text and the inside story of the G20 countries’ fight over its wording.
Australia’s treasurer, Joe Hockey, told the ABC Insiders program on Sunday morning that Australia did agree to include a paragraph on climate change in the first draft of the G20 communique. What he didn’t say is that Australian negotiators have resisted attempts to strengthen it ever since.
This is interesting: two of the three countries involved in this morning’s Australia-US-Japan dialogue have announced big money pledges for the new Green Climate Fund.
Can you guess which two?
United States and Japan Announce $4.5 Billion in Pledges to Green Climate Fund (GCF)
Making good on our commitment to support efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions and build climate resilience worldwide, the United States and Japan announced a total of up to $4.5 billion in pledges to the Green Climate Fund (GCF). This includes up to $3 billion from the United States and up to $1.5 billion from Japan, subject to respective domestic procedures and based on strong contributions from other donors. Our pledges build on those already announced by Germany, France, and other donors, which include developed and developing countries.
Our pledges will be reiterated at the GCF’s pledging session on November 20 in Berlin, Germany, where additional countries are expected to announce pledges. By announcing significant pledges promptly and at the leader level, we aim to provide great momentum to the ongoing climate change negotiations toward a post-2020 agreement that is applicable to all, in which countries make ambitious and transparent commitments to reduce their emissions.
Today’s announcement builds on a history of collective leadership by the United States, Japan, and other countries to support resilient and low-carbon development around the world. In 2008, our countries jointly spearheaded the establishment of the Climate Investment Funds (CIFs). Our pledges to the GCF are a continuation of that spirit of leadership. The GCF will mobilize investment from the private sector, whose resources and expertise will be essential to meet the climate challenge.
We encourage all countries that are able to join us in pledging to the GCF. We will continue working with our partners on the GCF Board and other stakeholders to make the GCF fully operational and ensure that it is an efficient and effective channel for climate finance.
Overheard being barked down a phone @G20Australia : "but it's for the President" (possibly "buttocks for the President").
— Ben Doherty (@BenDohertyCorro) November 16, 2014
Not a single detail is going to escape our reporters on the ground in Brisbane today.
We’ve just had announcement following a meeting this morning between the leaders of Australia, the United States and Japan. Daniel Hurst reports:
The leaders of Australia, Japan and the US have denounced Russia’s “actions to destabilise eastern Ukraine” after a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 this morning. Tony Abbott, Shinzo Abe and Barack Obama “resolved to tackle pressing issues” including developments in Ukraine.In a joint statement, they condemned “Russia’s purported annexation of Crimea and its actions to destabilise eastern Ukraine” and expressed support for “bringing to justice those responsible for the downing of flight MH17” in July.
The leaders also reaffirmed the importance of degrading and defeating Islamic State (Isis) in Iraq and Syria and countering the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters. They expressed support for ending the deadline Ebola virus epidemic in west Africa.”The three leaders also underscored the strength of their regional cooperation, including eliminating the North Korean nuclear and missile threat; addressing human rights in North Korea including the abductions issue; and ensuring freedom of navigation and over-flight and the peaceful resolution of maritime disputes in accordance with international law, including through legal mechanisms such as arbitration,” the statement said.The leaders also committed “to deepen the already strong security and defence cooperation” among the US, Australia and Japan.
Exclusion zones, snipers, bulletproof glass, fake fake Obama; the security of world leaders at the G20 summit has been a huge concern and organisers have gone all out. How then to explain allowing the globe’s most powerful people to get so close to these clawed, chlamydia-riddled* menaces?
From the Victorian government’s Koala management strategy:
Safe handling of Koalas requires experience and strength and should not be attempted by inexperienced persons ... Koalas are powerful animals and have sharp claws, their handling by untrained people can lead to serious injury.
Fact: “Koala cuddling” has been banned in New South Wales since 1997.
*This is a serious problem affecting Australia’s precious Koala population and you can donate money to help here
Updated
Forget koalas. This is Australia, via my colleague Christian Bennett:
Australia taking a firm stance on pretentious coffee ordering at g20. Love it or leave it. pic.twitter.com/3bO0s4L1uk
— Christian Bennett (@christianobeno) November 16, 2014
A spot of cricket, via my colleague Daniel Hurst:
Journalists and observers in the media centre tired of waiting for the G20 leaders to sign off on their communique are enjoying a bit of beach cricket. Except that it’s not really on the beach - it’s inside the air-conditioned confines of the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. But there is a surfboard behind the wickets at the Queensland/Brisbane stand. When people have had their fix of cricket they can step over to the pretend entrance to a Queenslander-style home. The tourism reps report that the brownies are popular. In the last couple of days, the stand has hosted koalas, snakes and bilbies for international media to have a look at. Howzat!
— Michael Safi (@safimichael) November 16, 2014
— Michael Safi (@safimichael) November 16, 2014
Temperatures have just hit a stinking 31 degrees in Brisbane, on their way to an expected top of 41 degrees within a couple of hours. My colleague Christian Bennett reports there’s plenty of G20-branded sunscreen on hand for the delegates, who I can only imagine are stunned human life can exist in these conditions.
Things Brandis should have had yesterday! G20 branded sunscreen. pic.twitter.com/hYFNHX5QeX
— Christian Bennett (@christianobeno) November 15, 2014
Updated
Here’s more from Lenore Taylor and Daniel Hurst on the ABC TV interview this morning with Australian treasurer Joe Hockey, in which he was asked whether he thought climate change was an impediment to economic growth:
“No, I don’t. Absolutely not,” he told the Insiders program.
He went on to downplay the post-2020 emission reduction commitments unveiled by Obama and Chinese president Xi Jinping on the eve of the G20 summit in Brisbane.
“Look at China. China is going to continue to increase emissions until 2030. It is going to continue increasing emissions to 2030,” he said.
Hockey questioned Obama’s ability to deliver on his new pledge, saying: “Barack Obama has to get any initiative on climate change through a hostile US Congress … That’s up to the US but so far he hasn’t had great success. You never know. Hopefully he can do what he wants to do as president but we all face those challenges – but we have to do what we believe to be right for the nation; he is doing what he believes to be right of the United States.”
Updated
The Australian prime minister, Tony Abbott, has attended a trilateral meeting this morning with US president Barack Obama and the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe.
More details here from the White House pool report:
“Good morning,” Obama said to Abbott, extending his hand. “How are you?”
“It’s good to be here with two such economic and strategic partners,”Abbott said.
A Japanese journalist shouted something at the leaders as they prepared to sit down, after which they clasped hands across their chests.
Pool, now cheerfully attired in green bibs, is moving to a hold room.
Later this afternoon, the [US] President will meet European Leaders to discuss the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the situation in Ukraine. There will be a travel pool spray at the top. This meeting will take place at 2:15pm AEST.
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Was the Obama fake a fake?
Among the more colourful stories to emerge yesterday was a world exclusive by the Brisbane tabloid, the Courier Mail, showing the first pictures of Barack Obama’s presidential decoy.
Obama’s decoy is an extremely rare sight, mainly for the reason that he doesn’t actually exist. At least, that’s according to the White House. Buzzfeed has done the digging:
BuzzFeed News contacted several members of President Obama’s delegation who denied the president traveled with body doubles in separate cars - a practice popularised in modern times by former dictator Saddam Hussein.
Will the official denials be enough to put the story to rest? I’m guessing not.
Climate change loomed large yesterday, despite the best efforts of the Australian government, which was accused of “blocking” the issue on the summit’s agenda. Here’s what else went down on the first day of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Brisbane:
- Russian officials were forced to deny reports that president Vladimir Putin was leaving the summit earlier after receiving a frosty reception from world leaders over Russian aggression in Ukraine. The Canadian prime minister, Stephen Harper, gave Putin a particularly stinging welcome, telling him: “I guess I’ll shake your hand but I have only one thing to say to you: You need to get out of Ukraine.”
- The Queensland government worked feverishly behind the scenes lobbying Unesco representatives to stop the Great Barrier Reef from being listed as “in danger” by the UN’s cultural and heritage body.
- Putin will be bracing for a “catastrophic” slump in oil prices as David Cameron said Europe would have no choice but to step up sanctions if the Russian president did not abide by previous agreements to respect Ukraine’s independence.
- The Australian treasurer, Joe Hockey, said governments risked losing their legitimacy in the eyes of the people if multinationals are allowed to continue avoid paying their fair share tax.
- Less than a dozen protesters were charged despite sustained demonstrations throughout Saturday covering every issue imaginable. That’s in contrast to Toronto’s G20 meeting in 2010 which saw more than 1,100 people arrested.
- U.S. president Barack Obama reasserted America’s so-called pivot to the Asia-Pacific in an address at the University of Queensland, declaring that the majority of the American navy and air force would be based out of the region by 2020. “The United States is and always will be a Pacific power,” Obama said.
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Soaring temperatures and an increasingly isolated position on climate change have Australia feeling the heat in Brisbane. My colleague Lenore Taylor reports that British PM David Cameron has addressed Tony Abbott’s position directly, telling Sky News:
Countries that have so far done the least have to think about what more they can do. I’ve had good and friendly discussions with prime minister Abbott about that.
He went on:
I hope [Australia will] do everything they can in the coming months to look at what more they can deliver, because when it comes to Paris if we want to get a global agreement everyone is going to have to bring something to the table.
His remarks came after US president Barack Obama forced climate change onto the G20 agenda with a strong speech urging the world to rally behind a new global agreement in Paris next year, and pledging $3bn to a green climate fund that Abbott has previously said Australia won’t contribute to.
Australia’s treasurer, Joe Hockey, has tried to put the spotlight back onto the economy on ABC television this morning, telling Insiders host Barrie Cassidy: “This is an economic forum. This is about millions and millions of jobs. This is about getting millions of people out of poverty.”
“We cannot afford to deal with climate change if governments are in recession or countries are facing huge economic challenges,” he said.
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of today’s ongoing G20 summit in Brisbane.
We’ll recap Saturday’s developments shortly. On the ground today we have a bumper team: Lenore Taylor, Josh Robertson, Daniel Hurst, Patrick Wintour, Christian Bennett and Ben Doherty.
What they’ll be covering is actually a small mystery. The official press schedule lists a single event at 11am (Brisbane time) in which global policy experts will tell us “what to expect from the G20 summit”.
And after that? A big fat “TBC”, according to the schedule.
At the very least we can expect two round of talks, including one on energy, and a pledge to increase economic growth by at least 2%, before the summit’s communique is signed and sealed this evening. We’ll bring the events to you live all day, so stick with us.
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