Pope Francis Calls For Climate Action As Rich Nations Sound Alarm

"We commit to tackle the existential challenge of climate change," the G20 draft promised

Leaders of the 20 richest countries will acknowledge the existential threat of climate change, a draft communique seen by Reuters shows, as Pope Francis said on Friday the COP26 summit must deliver "concrete hope" by matching words with deeds.

The Group of 20, whose leaders gather on Saturday and Sunday in Rome before heading to Glasgow, Scotland, for the UN gathering, will pledge to take urgent steps to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).

While the 2015 Paris Agreement committed signatories to keeping global warming to "well below" 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels, and preferably to 1.5 degrees, carbon levels in the atmosphere have since grown.

"We commit to tackle the existential challenge of climate change," the G20 draft promised, as people around the world prepared to demonstrate their frustration with politicians.