At a global climate summit hosted by the President of the United States of America and attended by the heads of state of 40 countries, many nations across the world increased their targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Biden announced that the United States pledged to cut carbon emissions by 50-52% below 2005 levels by the year 2030. The United States is the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China.
This new target set up by the United States nearly doubles former President Barack Obama’s promise of an emissions cut of 26% to 28% below 2005 levels by 2025.
“Scientists tell us that this is the decisive decade – this is the decade we must make decisions that will avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis,” President Biden said at the summit’s opening address.
“We must try to keep the Earth’s temperature to an increase of 1.5C. The world beyond 1.5 degrees means more frequent and intense fires, floods, droughts, heatwaves and hurricanes – tearing through communities, ripping away lives and livelihoods.”
America is back. We rejoined the Paris Agreement and are ready to rally the world to tackle the climate crisis. Let’s do this.
— President Biden (@POTUS) April 22, 2021
This summit aimed to resurrect the United States as a leader in tackling with the global climate crisis after former POTUS Donald Trump pulled out of the Paris agreement.
Apart from the United States, a host of other nations also increased their targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshide Suga pledged that Japan would reduce emissions by 46% in 2030 compared to 2013 levels. Previously, the country had pledged only a 26% cut in emissions.
Meanwhile, Canada also increased its target – it promised to limit carbon emissions by 40-45% by 2030.
The President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro announced his most ambitious environmental goal yet, confirming that the country would reach emissions neutrality by 2050. This is 10 years earlier than the previous goal of reaching the target.
Aren’t these some much required goals set up by the governments? What do you think? Let us know your views in the comments section below.
