According to US media reports, the United States held its first global climate summit on Thursday (April 22), which is “Earth Day”, local time. The summit was conducted by video. The United States invited the leaders of 38 countries and the president of the European Commission. And the President of the Council of Europe attended the meeting.
Biden seeks to play the leading role of the United States in global climate negotiations. He promised at the summit on Thursday that he would substantially reduce US carbon emissions. Other world leaders promised to take action. The meeting called on rich countries to take on more responsibilities.
In the opening speech of the summit, Biden said: “No country can solve the climate crisis on its own.” “All countries, especially the world’s largest economies, must take responsibility.”
This week’s climate summit aims to promote global emission reduction actions to fulfill the “Paris Climate Agreement”, which requires countries to make new commitments to strengthen emission reduction measures every five years. The Paris Agreement is not a legally binding enforcement mechanism, but mainly relies on pressure from the international community to persuade countries to implement substantial emissions reductions.
Scientists and environmental activists said that if major carbon emitters do not take major actions within ten years, the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrialization will not be achieved. According to the United Nations, if the temperature rise exceeds this value, it may cause a variety of risks. For example, it may cause damage to some ecosystems or cause sea level to rise, which will inundate some large cities.
Biden announced a new goal at this summit, hoping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% to 52% by 2030 compared with 2005. When formulating such climate targets, 2005 is often used as the base year for greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (Environmental Protection Agency) data, in 2019, US carbon emissions were reduced by about 13% compared to 2005, and carbon emissions in 2020 are expected to be reduced by 21% compared to 2005, which is partly benefited from The economic slowdown caused by the new crown epidemic, but as the economy recovers, this year’s carbon emissions in the United States may rise again.
Major companies such as Apple, Johnson & Johnson and Wal-Mart have all expressed support for Biden’s carbon emissions targets, but some Republican members of the U.S. Congress and energy industry professionals who criticized this stated that Biden’s plan may increase energy prices and harm the U.S. economy. .
Mike Sommers, the leader of the American Petroleum Institute (API), the largest oil and gas industry association in the United States, said: “The plan they propose today addresses the risks of climate change, but does not address the key challenge of lack of affordable and reliable energy. .”
U.S. government officials said there are multiple ways to achieve climate goals, combining federal policies with actions by states, businesses, and other local organizations. Biden has proposed a $2.3 trillion infrastructure package, which includes many reduction measures, such as a proposed standard that requires the United States to use low-carbon energy to generate electricity.
The United States submitted a 24-page climate plan to the United Nations on Thursday, including a wide range of major options to achieve the aforementioned goals. Officials said that a federal climate task force set up by Biden will release a more detailed plan later this year. The United Nations is scheduled to hold final negotiations in Glasgow in November to raise national climate goals. Critics call for more active implementation of any new emissions agreements, which may be one of the main content of negotiations in the coming months. Kerry said that emerging technologies such as satellites and artificial intelligence can now make it easier to track and verify emissions, and the United States will consider deploying these technologies.
Russian President Vladimir V. Putin only made vague promises. He said that by 2050, Russia’s carbon emissions would be significantly reduced. At the same time, Putin emphasized a carbon pricing pilot project, saying that the project will enable Sakha in 2050. The forest area has achieved carbon neutrality, but Putin did not mention the construction of the Nord Stream 2 (Nord Stream 2). North Stream 2 is a large natural gas pipeline that has been opposed by climate advocates and US national security advisers.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the establishment of a new partnership with the United States to expand the use of renewable energy.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that Canada is committed to reducing carbon emissions by 40% to 45% below 2005 levels by the end of this decade.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that Britain is enacting legislation to strive to reduce emissions by 78% from 1990 levels by 2035. The UK announced this new goal earlier this week, which is a step further from the previous goal of reducing emissions by 68% by 2030.
Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide said that by 2020, Japan will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 46% on the basis of 2013, which is an important manifestation of Japan’s solidarity with the United States.
The European Union this week approved a trillion-dollar plan to promote the 27-nation group to achieve carbon neutrality and improve overall ecological performance by 2050.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, raising the goal of achieving carbon neutrality until 2060, and pledged to end illegal deforestation by 2030. In his speech at the summit, Bolsonaro called on rich countries and carbon markets to provide funding for such environmental protection measures.
“The environmental services provided by our biome to the entire planet must be paid fairly in order to recognize the economic nature of environmental conservation activities,” Bolsonaro said. “We are ready to start international cooperation at any time and continue to cooperate with an open attitude. .”
Brazil has asked the Biden government to provide $1 billion to help reduce deforestation by 40%. Indian officials have also emphasized to John Forbes Kerry, the US President’s special envoy for climate change, that the United States and other industrialized nations need to fulfill their pledges to provide up to $100 billion a year to support similar efforts.
In 2019, a logging company in the state of Para, Brazil stocked logs, and Brazilian President Bolsonaro promised to end illegal logging in Brazil by 2030
Marshall Islands President David Kabua, who is facing the threat of rising sea levels, also called on advanced economies to help.
He said: “Countries that are vulnerable to climate change often hear excuses that national emission reduction costs are too high, but political signals, especially those from major economies, affect investment and innovation decisions in low-carbon projects.” He said: “Now is the time to make the signal clear.”
The United States is working with Norway and the United Kingdom to protect tropical forests
In addition, the United Kingdom, Norway and the United States said on Thursday that they will join forces with some of the world’s large companies to raise more than $1 billion in funds for countries that can prove to reduce carbon emissions by protecting forests.
Companies such as Amazon, Nestlé, Unilever, GlaxoSmithKline and Salesforce have pledged to fund this new initiative called the “LEAF Coalition.”
(Edit: Zixuan)
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