Washington:
US President Joe Biden urged world leaders on Friday to join the United States and European Union in a pledge to reduce methane emissions, hoping to create momentum just before an international summit on climate adjust starts next month.
Biden made the remarks throughout a virtual meeting of the Major Economies Forum (MEF), a adhere to-up to an Earth Day meeting he hosted in April to unveil new US greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and press other nations to do more to curb theirs.
The United Kingdom heeded the contact, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledging to be amongst the very first signatories of the Global Methane Pledge to lower emissions of the dangerous gas.
Argentina, Indonesia, Italy and Mexico also joined the alliance, even though Ghana and Iraq signaled interest in joining, according to a White House summary of the meeting, which noted these nations represent six of the leading 15 methane emitters globally.
Tackling climate adjust is one of Biden’s leading domestic and international priorities, and the UN COP26 climate conference in Glasgow from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12 is seen as a vital moment for the world to commit to undertaking more to halt increasing temperatures.
The United Nations stated on Thursday the pace of climate adjust had not been slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the world was losing its battle to reduce emissions adequate to cap international warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Scientists say this is the bare minimum to steer clear of the most catastrophic effects of climate adjust.
Biden asked other nations on Friday to join a pact agreed by the United States and the EU to aim to lower international methane emissions by at least 30% under 2020 levels by 2030.
“This will not only rapidly reduce the rate of global warming, but … it will also produce a very valuable side benefit like improving public health and agricultural output,” Biden told the leaders.
“We believe the collective goal is both ambitious but realistic, and we urge you to join us in announcing this pledge at COP26,” Biden stated.
Globally, methane emissions are accountable for about 30% of warming considering that the pre-industrial era, according to the United Nations. A current report by U.N. climate scientists stated that cutting methane emissions is the quickest way to slow down international warming.
After pledging the UK’s commitment to the purpose, Johnson urged other nations to make fantastic use of the lead-up to the next climate summit.
“Over the next 1,000 hours between now and everyone coming to COP26, we must do the work that will allow us to come to Glasgow bearing the ambitious NDCs – Nationally Determined Contributions -and rock-solid commitments on coal, cars and trees,” Johnson stated, pointing to the value of securing funds to spur compliance by poorer nations.
“We must get serious about filling the $100 billion pot that the developing world needs in order to do its bit.”
Leaders from Argentina, Bangladesh, Indonesia, South Korea, Mexico, Britain and the European Union took aspect in the MEF, along with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the White House stated.
Biden also asked Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry to chair a ministerial session straight away following with China, Germany, India and Russia, according to a White House readout of the meeting.
Biden stated he wanted to use the MEF to complement other climate adjust forums and his group, such as Kerry, is working to push nations to set ambitious targets for cutting their greenhouse gas emissions.
“Whatever commitments we make at COP26, we must all resolve together in Glasgow to continue strengthening our ambition and our actions … to keep us … below 1.5 degrees and keep that within reach,” Biden stated.
Leaders and activists warned of potentially disastrous consequences.
“Under current policies, we’ll reach almost 3 degrees of global warming by the end of the century,” Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi stated, according to remarks released by his workplace. “The consequences of such an increase in global temperatures would be catastrophic.”
Biden announced in April a new target to lower US greenhouse gas emissions 50%-52% by 2030 compared with 2005 levels. Biden has been emphasizing climate adjust repeatedly in current weeks in the wake of harm from devastating floods and wildfires across the United States.
(This story has not been edited by TheSpuzz employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)