(Image: Original Artwork | Policy Prism)
What is G20?
A group of 19 countries and 2 regional bodies- the European Union and the African Union- together accounting for more than three-fourth of global GDP and global trade and over 60 per cent of world’s population.
The Group was founded in 1999 as a meeting of Finance ministers and Central Bank Governors and was later elevated to a Leader’s level summit in 2008.
The broad agenda of these meetings revolve around 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Also Read: Export Promotion Mission & Credit Guarantee Scheme
G20 Summit 2025 Countries and Theme
(Source: G20.org, Compiled by Policy Prism)
Why does the G20 Summit 2025 matter?
The G20 Summit South Africa held during 22-23rd November 2025 was the first ever international summit on African soil and fourth consecutive G20 presidency by an emerging economy-Indonesia (2022), India (2023) and Brazil (2024).
The presidency signals the rising and more prominent role of Global South, prioritizing climate adaptation, debt relief, development finance, digital adoption and industrialization.
Absence from the G20 summit 2025 - Not attended by US President Donald Trump, China’s leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
What Happened at the G20 Summit 2025 in South Africa?
Tabulated below are the key outcomes and recommendations of the 20th G20 Summit
(Source: Policy Prism Compilation using G20 Summit Declaration 2025)
*Climate-debt trap- countries borrow for climate change adaptation and recovery which they did not create (African countries contribute to less than 4% of global emissions) and increase their debt burden, leading to lesser investments in resilience.
Also Read: Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
Challenges with G20 Summit 2025 Outcomes
As per OECD, financing needs for climate action in developing countries are estimated at USD 2.4 trillion[1] while MDBs currently unlock only around USD 100 billion, leaving a gap of around USD 2.3 trillion every year. This financing gap remains unaddressed in the 2025 summit.
African countries remain in a climate-debt trap. This was acknowledged but no strong debt restructuring mechanism was provided for rising debt stress.
Way Forward for G20 Summit 2026 to be held in USA
The South African G20 Presidency succeeded in attracting global attention on Africa’s issues, advancing Africa’s role as a manufacturing base, climate solution provider and digital innovating partner. Nonetheless, solutions to issues such as debt stress, climate financing moved at a much slower pace than that of these crises. The Summit moved the needle but there is much more required to secure a more equitable global economic order for developing countries.
Contact: policyprism02@gmail.com
[1] https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/policy-issues/finance-and-investment-for-climate-goals.html