The first day of the G20 summit kicks off today

US President Joe Biden arrived at the summit on Saturday morning, where he will address supply chain issues and energy prices as well as cementing support for the global minimum tax.

He stepped from his car and walked into the La Nuvola summit site outside central Rome with a wide smile, opening his arms to meet host Mario Draghi of Italy.

The men stood speaking for a moment before posing for a photo.

Biden arrived after a parade of other world leaders made similar entrances.

Biden is set to pose soon for a family photo before entering the first plenary session, which is focused on global economic issues.

The Biden administration breathed new life into the global tax initiative earlier this year, which secured the support of G7 countries in June and paved the way for a preliminary deal in July.

The President’s trip to Europe comes at a difficult time in his presidency however, with his approval ratings have tumbled as Americans grow weary of the economic side-effects of the pandemic.

Biden’s trip also comes as Democratic party infighting has led to a stalled vote on a sweeping infrastructure and spending vote this week. The delay on that package has presented a significant setback for Biden’s trip, as he had hoped the package, filled with social programs and climate protections investments, would have passed before arriving at the UN Climate Conference in the UK.

The framework includes $555 billion in measures to combat climate change, a package Biden hoped to use as leverage to push other nations to make significant cuts to carbon emissions at the climate summit.

For now, it appears that he’ll be showing up to Cop26 in Glasgow empty handed.

Covid-19 has made it to the G20 summit.

A media worker tested positive for the virus on Friday and is now in isolation, according to Lazio region’s health department.

The positive case was caught before the worker was able to enter the media center, thanks to strict Covid-19 protocols, according to the health department statement.

Foreign media representatives are required to show a negative test carried out within 48 hours prior to entering Italy. Local media also must show a negative test every 48 hours to gain access to the summit.

All members of the media must test negative for the virus via a rapid antigen or molecular test every 48 hours, according to official G20 summit guidance.

FFP2 face masks must be worn at all times when inside the media center, according to the guidance. 

Meanwhile, many world leaders arriving to the conference center Saturday were seen exiting their vehicles with masks on, but shortly took them off on the red carpet for a meet and handshake with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

The G20 is underway.

Attendees are trickling into Rome’s convention center this morning, with the red carpet rolled out for world leaders amid strict Covid-19 protocols.

This summit is the leaders’ first face-to-face meeting in two years, after pandemic restrictions meant that everyone attended last year’s summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia via video-link.

But not all invitees are in attendance this year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador haven’t made the journey to Rome, citing Covid-19 issues at home.

Putin and Xi have said they’ll attend the meetings virtually. But their physical absence from the event will likely change the summit’s overall tone. Rather than being a meeting of big rivals, the event could be a lot less frosty.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned Friday that the world is “careening towards climate catastrophe,” describing the G20 summit as an opportunity to “put things on track” as world leaders prepare to gather in Glasgow, Scotland for the COP26 climate conference. 

“I think we are still on time to put things on track, and I think this G20 meeting is the opportunity to do that,” he continued, adding that the summit is an opportunity for world leaders to ensure that the upcoming COP26 climate conference will have “the right results.”

Speaking during a news briefing in Rome on the eve of the G20 summit, Guterres also called on wealthy nations to uphold commitments to provide funding to help developing nations confront the climate crisis. 

“Ambition on climate finance includes making good on the commitment to provide 100 billion US dollars each year to developing countries,” Guterres said. 

“I welcome efforts led by Canada and Germany to help us get us there. It is a first step, but it delays the largest support for years without clear guarantees,” he added. 

The G20 summit kicks off today in Rome, with climate change, the global economy and the Covid-19 pandemic high on the agenda for this weekend’s talks.

Here’s a look at today’s expected agenda:

On Saturday and Sunday, President Biden will attend G20 events and sessions focused on the main elements of the international economy and international issues.

The President may also hold meetings with other world leaders on the margins of the summit to discuss supply chain issues, energy prices and the Iranian nuclear program, Sullivan said.

The President then heads to Glasgow for COP26, a UN climate summit. The President will give a major address on climate as part of the summit. He will also meet with leaders on the margin of that summit to discuss a range of issues, including the Build Back Better World initiative that was announced at the Group of Seven summit earlier this year.

At both summits, Biden and European partners are expected to discuss coordinating policies on Iran, supply chains and global infrastructure efforts.

Biden will “cement progress on the global minimum tax,” Sullivan said. G7 finance ministers agreed in June to back Biden’s sweeping overhaul of global tax system, including a global minimum tax of at least 15% on multinational companies.

The President will also be “laser focused on supply chains and energy prices because he knows that these issues impact working families here in America,” Sullivan said.

“In advancing the Build Back Better World initiative, the B3W initiative, he will show how a high standards climate friendly alternative to the Belt and Road Initiative can help American firms and American workers compete globally on every aspect of infrastructure, from physical to digital to health,” Sullivan said.

The Belt and Road Initiative is Chinese President Xi Jinping’s signature global infrastructure policy. The Chinese President will not be attending the summit.

Sullivan said: “I would just point out that we see no contradiction between pursuing ambitious and aggressive actions to meet this pivotal moment when it comes to the climate crisis and supporting a sustained and swift economic recovery that delivers security and opportunity for the American people.”

Biden has pledged to reduce US greenhouse gas emissions by 50% to 52% below its 2005 emissions by 2030.

Former President Barack Obama will also be attending COP26, but will not overlap with Biden, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday.