United States (US) President Joe Biden is gearing up to convene a major climate conference on Thursday in an effort to restore US leadership on the issue and reignite international efforts to address global warming. The Leaders Summit on Climate, which will take place on April 22 and 23 in a virtual format, will witness the participation of 40 world leaders, including those from China, India, Russia, Nigeria, South Africa, Japan, Bangladesh, and the European Union (EU). Some business and civil society leaders have also been invited to participate in the event.
As Biden’s first major international initiative since becoming president, the gathering is being billed as an opportunity for the US to present its climate policies after four years of inaction under the previous administration. Biden’s climate envoy, John Kerry, has been on an international tour this month to shore up support for the summit, having met with leaders in South Korea, Canada, Japan, China, and India.
According to the White House, the US will announce an “ambitious 2030 emissions target” as its new Nationally Determined Contribution under the 2015 Paris Agreement. Though the administration has not yet provided any concrete details about this commitment, it is expected to declare plans to cut its emissions by 50% in the next decade. The US is the world’s second-largest carbon emitter following China, and Chinese President Xi Jinping is also expected to deliver “an important speech” at the virtual meet. Following a meeting between Kerry and his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua earlier this month, Beijing confirmed its attendance at this week’s conference in a joint statement while also agreeing to continue talks on “concrete actions in the 2020s” to reduce emissions. Thursday’s summit will also be the first meeting between Xi and Biden.
The conference comes just a few months before the next major UN climate summit (UNCOP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, which will take place in November. The COP26 will provide an opportunity for nations of the Paris agreement to provide their updated emission targets for the next decade. The White House said that this week’s Leaders Summit will “underscore the urgency—and the economic benefits—of stronger climate action,” and will serve as an important milestone on the road to Glasgow.
In related developments, EU lawmakers reached a deal on a European Climate Law on Wednesday, which means that they will be able to participate in Thursday’s meeting with an agreed-upon 2030 target. After 14 hours of negotiations, the bloc decided to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by “at least 55%” by 2030 and agreed on the establishment of an independent scientific advisory body to help policymakers align EU policies with the bloc’s climate neutrality goal.
Joe Biden’s Global Climate Summit: What to Expect
US President Joe Biden is gearing up to convene a major climate conference on Thursday in an effort to restore US leadership on the issue and reignite international efforts to address global warming.
April 21, 2021
SOURCE: REUTERS