As the G7's 2025 Kananaskis summit concludes, the world's gaze is fixed not on the communiqués, but on the chasm between aspiration and achievement. In a year when the Edelman Trust Barometer found that only 42% of respondents in non-G7 countries trust the G7 to deliver on its pledges, the group faces a credibility reckoning. The G7's legacy is replete with bold declarations from the 2002 Africa Action Plan to the 2018 Charlevoix gender and education pledges, and the 2023 Hiroshima AI Process. Yet, according to the latest G7 Accountability Working Group report, just 58% of major commitments made since 2018 have been fully implemented, with climate finance and pandemic preparedness among the most glaring shortfalls.
The Anatomy of Follow-Through and Failure
The gap between summit statements and real-world results is not merely bureaucratic inertia; it is a reflection of the G7's structural limitations and the shifting global context. The group's informal, consensus-based model, once a source of agility, now often produces lowest-common-denominator compromises. The 2025 agenda spanning armed conflict in Ukraine, countering foreign interference, digital governance, climate, and inclusive growth is as ambitious as it is sprawling. But as trade wars simmer within the group itself, and as cyber-kinetic threats and environmental hazards test the limits of coordination, the G7's ability to deliver is under unprecedented scrutiny.
Consider the 2024 Hiroshima AI Process: hailed as a breakthrough, it has since struggled to translate principles into enforceable standards, with divergent national interests and rapid technological change outpacing collective action. The Charlevoix education funding pledge, meanwhile, saw only partial fulfillment by 2023 just 62% of promised funds delivered, according to the G7 Accountability Working Group. Such statistics are not outliers; they are emblematic of a broader pattern.
The Global South and the Agency of Others
This year, the absence of India a first in six years was keenly felt, underscoring the shifting sands of global legitimacy. Leaders from Brazil, South Africa, and the African Union made clear that summit invitations are no substitute for genuine partnership. President Cyril Ramaphosa's pointed words at the opening session "Accountability is not a Western prerogative; it is a global expectation" echoed the sentiment of many. The African Union's mediation in Sudan and Brazil's leadership on climate finance have shown that the Global South is not merely a recipient of G7 promises, but an active shaper of global norms and priorities.
Civil Society, Youth, and Indigenous Voices
Civil society and youth organizations, from Amnesty International to the University 7, demanded a seat at the table, pressing for independent monitoring and transparent progress tracking. Agnès Callamard of Amnesty International reminded leaders, "Accountability begins with listening to those most affected." Indigenous leaders from Treaty 7 territory, on whose land the summit was held, called for the G7 to recognize Indigenous rights and knowledge as integral to climate and sustainability agendas a reminder that legitimacy must be rooted in local as well as global engagement.
The Challenge of Transparency and Delivery
The G7's accountability challenge is compounded by its lack of binding enforcement mechanisms and by the complexity of today's global crises. The summit's remote location in Kananaskis, while symbolic of renewal, also surfaced operational vulnerabilities: cyberattacks, drone incursions, and fragmented interagency coordination. In the words of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, "We are judged not by the eloquence of our communiqués, but by the substance of our follow-through." Meanwhile, China and Russia have not hesitated to point out the G7's missed targets, offering their own models of South-South cooperation and state-led development as alternatives.
Facts and Figures: The Hard Reality
Recent data sharpen the critique. G7 climate finance pledges remain $32 billion short of the $100 billion annual target set for 2025. Only 44% of the group's pandemic preparedness commitments have been operationalized, according to the WHO. On digital inclusion, the G7's 2023 commitment to halve the global digital divide by 2030 is already behind schedule, with the ITU reporting that 2.6 billion people remain offline. In 2024, G7 countries collectively admitted just 220,000 refugees, even as conflicts and climate disasters displaced over 110 million people worldwide.
Quotes and Contrasts: Voices from the Summit and Beyond
The summit was marked by both optimism and skepticism. President Macron declared, "Our credibility will be measured not by our intentions, but by our impact." Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, added, "We must move from promises to proof." Yet, President Lula of Brazil countered, "Global governance cannot be a club of the rich issuing instructions to the rest." Meanwhile, a B7 business leader remarked, "Without transparent scorecards and real consequences, summit fatigue will only deepen."
The Call for Reform and a Forward-Looking Challenge
What would true accountability look like? Civil society and business coalitions have urged the G7 to adopt independent delivery units, public progress scorecards, and deeper engagement with non-G7 actors. The idea of a formal G7 Accountability Office, empowered to audit and report on annual progress, is gaining traction. As the Council on Foreign Relations notes, the G7's influence is no longer axiomatic; it must be earned anew each year, in partnership with others.
The Road Ahead
If Kananaskis is to be remembered for more than its scenery, the G7 must move from summit statements to real-world results. This means embracing transparency, empowering independent scrutiny, and forging genuine partnerships with the wider world. The next summit's agenda will be shaped by the outcomes of this one a test not of eloquence, but of execution. As the world watches, the G7's true legacy will be written not in words, but in deeds. The challenge is clear: to close the gap between promise and performance, and to ensure that accountability is not just a talking point, but a lived reality locally, globally, and for generations to come.
[Major General Dr Dilawar Singh is an Indian Army veteran who has led the Indian Army's Financial Management, training and research divisions introducing numerous initiatives therein. He is the Senior Vice President of the Global Economist Forum AO ECOSOC, United Nations and The Co President of the Global Development Bank.]
