Both Brazil and South Africa are countries with some of the highest levels of structural inequality and persistent systemic racism, which shows the unequal burden carried by racialised and marginalised populations in the global South.

Listen to this article 4 min Listen to this article 4 min Under Brazil's current presidency, and with South Africa set to take the helm in 2025, the G20 has a historic opportunity to address some of the most pressing current global issues of inequality, driven by systemic racism and gender discrimination, that reverberate in all matters including the climate crisis.

The G20 is well positioned to turn the page to a new landscape shaped by human rights and principles of solidarity, equality, non-discrimination and sustainable development.

To do this, world leaders must act now to put human rights at the heart of all climate action decision-making, provide adequate grant-based climate finance and ensure a rapid, equitable and just transition to zero-carbon economies in a manner that reduces inequalities between and within countries.

Marginalised communities must meaningfully participate in decision-making processes to guarantee the right to self-determination and to ensure the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples.

Effective measures must be adopted without delay. Time is running out and world leaders can no longer get away with grandiose pronouncements that are not followed by action.

The world is currently caught in a downward spiral fuelled by multiple and...