On April 22 the first day of the Leaders’ Climate Summit began in Washington on the initiative of U.S. President Joe Biden. The event takes place in a virtual format. Leaders from 40 countries and international organizations have been invited to participate in the summit.
On Thursday, April 22, leaders from the United States, China, Germany, France, Russia, India, Canada, Japan and other countries spoke at the summit. Climate challenges and threats were discussed, as well as the need for joint efforts to preserve the climate on the planet.
During his speech, Joe Biden stated the goal of the USA to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 50-52% of its 2005 level for 10 years and to reach a net zero emissions level by 2050. He urged other leaders to join the climate process.
“This summit is the first step in the journey we will take together. The world depends on us, the well-being of our employees depends on us, the wealth of our economies depends on us. We must move right now to take decisive action to create a better future for the implementation of the green energy era. Every country must set climate goals that will create new jobs, drive healthy economies, and mitigate climate impacts. We must move quickly to meet these challenges,” Biden said during the speech.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said during the summit that to mitigate climate change, countries around the world must set themselves more than ambitious goals for the next 10 years.
“We must reduce our carbon emissions, reduce our consumption of minerals, and stop using coal for our power plants. Developed countries must fulfill their climate commitments. We must mobilize political leadership and work together to overcome the effects of climate change and build a good future for all,” Guterres said.
The UN Secretary-General called on world leaders to build a global coalition to achieve zero carbon emissions by mid-century.