WASHINGTON (CU)_US President Joe Biden will pledge to slash the country’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 per cent by 2030, the Associated Press reported. The move has been anticipated by climate experts and advocates, ahead of the virtual climate summit which he will convene later this week. This pledge would mean that the United States may meet its target of net zero emissions by 2050, in line with the Paris accord.
Experts say that following the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw the country from the historical climate agreement, this target would send a clear message that the US is back in the game. Previously, more than 400 businesses, including Apple and Alphabet, signed an open letter to the President asking for the 2030 pledges, known as Nationally Determined Contributions of the Paris agreement.
This non-binding pledge will be a key element of the virtual climate summit which will be hosted by Washington and attended by 40 world leaders. The event, which is seen as a precursor to the UN climate talks (COP26), will be held on 22 and 23 April. Through the gathering, the Biden administration seeks to galvanize efforts by the major economies of the world to reduce their carbon emissions in order to keep global temperature rise well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, which is the central aim of the Paris accord.
Although the United Kingdom and the European Union have already submitted their NDCs, however, other major economies including China, Japan and South Korea have not yet put forward a 2030 pledge in line with their long term emissions goal. Therefore, this pledge by the US would mean that President Biden is in a better position to convince his fellow heads of state to follow suit.
Since he took office in January, the American leader has made climate action a centrepiece of his presidency. He has taken several initiatives to cut carbon emissions, including the revocation of the permit for the $8 billion Keystone XL Pipeline with Canada, which has prompted several lawsuits against the President and certain Cabinet members.
Nevertheless, the Biden administration would be required to make dramatic changes in the energy and transportation sectors if they are to achieve this target by 2030.
