PM: World leaders ‘must get serious’

BORIS Johnson will tell a summit of world leaders that 2021 must be the year countries “get serious” about stopping climate change.

The virtual summit to galvanise action on the crisis has been convened by President Joe Biden, who is expected to pledge to at least halve US greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 on 2005 levels.

Ahead of the event, which aims to increase ambition on climate action before UN COP26 talks in Glasgow in November, Mr Johnson announced a “world-leading” target for the UK to cut emissions by 78 per cent on 1990 levels by 2035.

The UK’S new target builds on its plan to cut emissions by 68% on

1990 levels by 2030, the most ambitious among leading economies.

But campaigners have warned that policies and action are urgently needed to deliver on the pledges and cut pollution from homes, transport, industry and power supplies.

The PM is expected to tell the meeting: “The UK has shown that it’s possible to slash emissions while growing the economy, which makes the question of reaching net zero not so much technical as political.

“If we actually want to stop climate change, then this must be the year in which we get serious about doing so.

“Because the 2020s will be remembered either as the decade in which world leaders united to turn the tide, or as a failure.”

He will urge leaders to come to Glasgow in November – and

Kunming in China in October for a summit on tackling declines in nature – armed with ambitious targets and the plans required to reach them.

The two-day, Us-led summit will also hear from leaders of major economies, including China, Japan, Russia, Canada, India and Australia, who will be watched closely to see what ambition they will bring to the table.