US to halve carbon emissions; VP to address summit today
Taking part in the Summit gives the UAE an opportunity to highlight the pioneering role it has played in creating innovative pathways towards a lower carbon economy
WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden on Thursday doubled US ambitions on slashing greenhouse gas emissions, leading Japan and Canada at a summit in making new commitments that bring the world closer to limiting the worst climate change.
Puting the United States back at the forefront on climate, Biden told a virtual Earth Day summit that the world’s largest economy will cut emissions blamed for climate change by 50 to 52 per cent by 2030 compared with 2005 levels.
“The cost of inaction keeps mounting. The United States isn’t waiting,” Biden told a two-day summit of 40 leaders including the presidents of rivals China and Russia.
“We have to step up,” Biden said.
“We have to take action -- all of us.”
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is heading the UAE delegation participating in the Leaders Summit on Climate hosted by US Biden. The virtual event is being held from 22 - 23 April.
Sheikh Mohammed is participating in the Summit along with 40 world leaders.
Sheikh Mohammed will address world leaders on the second day of the summit to share the UAE’S vision for combating climate change.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke of commitments to climate change, agreeing to participate despite high tensions with Biden’s three-month-old administration.
Xi reiterated his pledge that China — by far the world’s largest emiter — would reach carbon neutral by 2060.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga significantly raised the goals of the world’s second largest developed economy to cuting emissions by 46 per cent in 2030 compared with 2013.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, another early ally of Biden, boosted ambitions of his energy-exporting country to reductions of 40-45 per cent below 2005 levels, compared with an earlier target of 30 per cent.
“We must take action now. Because there’s no vaccine against a polluted planet,” Trudeau said.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called Biden’s pledge “a game-changer” that will “have a transformative impact in the global fight against climate change.” Britain in November will host a UN conference in Glasgow that aims to upgrade the Paris Agreement.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres hailed the pledges made at the summit as a turning point but urged immediate action.
But Greta Thunburg, the emblematic 18-yearold climate champion, accused politicians of still ignoring the climate crisis as she pointed to continued subsidies for fossil fuels.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is heading the UAE delegation participating in the Leaders Summit on Climate hosted by US President Joe Biden. The virtual event is being held from 22 - 23 April.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid is participating in the Summit along with 40 world leaders. Taking part in the Summit gives the UAE an opportunity to highlight the pioneering role it has played in addressing climate change and creating innovative pathways towards a lower carbon economy.
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid will address world leaders on the second day of the summit to share the UAE’S vision for combating climate change. US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris participated in the inaugural session of the Summit held today. Aimed at galvanising efforts by the major economies to tackle the climate crisis, the Leaders Summit on Climate seeks to highlight the urgency and the economic benefits of stronger climate action and investing in climate solutions.
The two-day event will discuss how countries can reduce carbon dioxide emissions, enact financial reform, advance innovation and reduce the cost of technologies like carbon capture that can help reduce emissions.
The Leaders Summit sets a milestone on the road to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) to be held this November in Glasgow and seeks to increase the chances for meaningful outcomes on global climate action at the event.
Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change, has said that the UAE’S participation in US President Biden’s Leaders Summit on Climate, is a recognition of the country’s strong climate leadership and innovative approach to tackling climate change.
In a statement issued following the announcement of the participation of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai at the summit, which begins on April 22, Al Jaber further expressed his country’s keenness to offer a practical, constructive voice on the climate agenda, and to work with the US and global partners to make this critical year a clear success for climate action.
Here’s the statement:
“The United Arab Emirates is honoured to participate in the Leaders’ Summit on Climate. The Summit is a key milestone in the international climate space and strengthens momentum toward the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) this November in Glasgow.
The UAE has a longstanding track record in proactively adopting and promoting clean energy and carbon mitigation technologies as a key pillar of our economic diversification strategy. We have always viewed progressive climate action as an opportunity for economic growth. We know there is a strong business case for investment in climate mitigation and adaptation technologies, and that our investments will deliver jobs and economic growth alongside carbon savings.
Due to early investment and policy choices, the UAE now enjoys the lowest-cost solar power in the world, enabling further competitiveness in our industries and services. We are also one of the first countries in the region to implement commercially viable carbon capture and storage at scale, providing an important proof point for traditionally challenging emission sectors. We are also investing in new zero-carbon fuels, including hydrogen that shows promise as an energy source of the future. Furthermore, we are sharply increasing our investment in innovation and R&D for agriculture and food systems, to both adapt to climate change and reduce emissions - which will be the focus of a major new global partnership to be announced shortly.
The UAE has and will continue to demonstrate constructive leadership in climate action. Earlier this month, we hosted US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and COP26 President Alok Sharma in Abu Dhabi, along with high level representatives from 10 MENA economies for the UAE Climate Dialogue. The dialogue concluded in a landmark joint statement from the region, as well as a bilateral statement between the UAE and the US commiting to accelerate climate action.