US summit lifts climate hopes

US summit lifts climate hopes

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden yesterday ramped up US ambitions on slashing greenhouse gas emissions, putting the United States back at the forefront with a summit he hopes brings the world closer to limiting climate change. In a virtual Earth Day summit, Biden will announce that the world's largest economy will cut emissions blamed for climate change by 50 to 52 percent by 2030 compared with 2005 levels, officials said.

Biden, in a massive diplomatic undertaking for a three-month-old administration, is welcoming 40 leaders for two days of meetings, including the presidents of adversaries China and Russia and Pope Francis. The new US target aims to "challenge the world on increasing ambition and combatting the climate crisis,“ an administration official, who spoke under customary condition of anonymity, told reporters.

Combined with announcements expected by other leaders, the official said the world will be closer - but not yet on track - to keeping the planet's temperature within 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times, the level scientists say is needed to avoid the most severe effects of climate change. "Over half the world's economy is now moving to cut emissions at a global pace needed to keep 1.5 C in reach,“ the official