Global checkup: The G20 summit tackles climate change, Covid, and the economy

Fly like a G20... or Air Force One over the Colosseum. Over the weekend, leaders of the world's 20 biggest economies met IRL for the first time in two years — minus Russia's Putin and China's Xi, who called in via video. The two-day summit was held in Rome, but it wasn't a breezy Roman holiday. Why it matters:

• Econ impact: G20 countries account for more than 80% of the world's economic output, 75% of its trade, and 60% of its population.
• Climate impact: The G20 — which includes the US, China, Germany, India, and Brazil — accounts for 80% of greenhouse-gas emissions.
• Biz impact: G20 leaders endorsed a minimum global tax rate of 15% for multinational corporations, aiming to implement it in 2023.

Climate vitals… Greenhouse-gas concentrations hit a record last year, and the planet is "way off track" in capping rising temperatures, the UN says. This exacerbates extreme weather and rising sea levels. Rich countries are lagging behind their $100B/year pledge to help developing nations transition to greener energy.

Covid checkup... While 70% of US adults are fully vaxxed, only half the world’s population has received a shot. The goal was to vaccinate at least 40% of each country's population by the end of 2021 — we’re still far from that. Most African countries have fully vaccinated less than 10% of their population.

Recovery screening... Thanks to Delta surges, supply-chain backlogs, and rising prices, global economic recovery is in danger of stalling. The US economy's growth slowed sharply last quarter — so did China's.