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2021 Leaders Summit on Climate

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2021 Leaders Summit on Climate
Image
Host countryImage United States
DatesApril 22–23, 2021
VenuesVirtual
Participants38 nations
Websitewww.state.gov/leaders-summit-on-climate/

The 2021 Leaders' Summit on Climate was a virtual climate summit on April 22–23, 2021, organized by the Joe Biden administration, with leaders from various countries. At the summit Biden announced that greenhouse gas emissions by the United States would be reduced by 50% - 52% relative to the level of 2005 by 2030. Overall, the commitments made at the summit reduce the gap between governments' current pledges and the 1.5 degrees target of the Paris Agreement by 12% - 14%. If the pledges are accomplished, greenhouse gas emissions will fall by 2.6% - 3.7% more in comparison to the pledges before the summit. The results of the summit were described by Climate Action Tracker as a step forward in the fight against climate change.

Invited countries and their representatives

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Image
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the Leaders Summit on Climate (April 2021)
Invited countries Representative[1]
Image South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa
Image Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel
Image Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne
Image Saudi Arabia King Salman of Saudi Arabia
Image Argentina President Alberto Fernández
Image Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison
Image Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
Image Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro
Image Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering
Image Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Image Chile President Sebastián Piñera
Image China President Xi Jinping[note 1]
Image Colombia President Iván Duque Márquez
Image South Korea President Moon Jae-in
Image Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen
Image United Arab Emirates President Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan
Image Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez
Image France President Emmanuel Macron
Image Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba
Image India Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Image Indonesia President Joko Widodo
Image Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Image Italy Prime Minister Mario Draghi
Image Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness
Image Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga
Image Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Image Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari
Image Norway Prime Minister Erna Solberg
Image New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
Image Poland President Andrzej Duda
Image Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta
Image United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson
Image Marshall Islands President David Kabua
Image Democratic Republic of the Congo President Félix Tshisekedi
Image Russia President Vladimir Putin
Image Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Image Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Image Vietnam General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng

Results

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At the summit Biden announced that greenhouse gas emissions by the United States would be reduced by 50% - 52% relative to the level of 2005 by 2030. Overall, the commitments made at the summit reduce the gap between governments' current pledges and the 1.5 degrees target of the Paris Agreement by 12% - 14%.[2] If the pledges are accomplished, greenhouse gas emissions will fall by 2.6% - 3.7% GtCO2e[quantify] more in comparison to the pledges before the summit.[2] The results of the summit were described by Climate Action Tracker as a step forward in the fight against climate change, even though there is still a long way to go to reach the 1.5 degrees target.[2] The most important commitments were made by United States, United Kingdom, European Union, China and Japan.[2] At the summit the Biden administration submitted a new Nationally Determined Contribution to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), according to Climate Action Tracker "the biggest climate step made by any US government in history".[2]

At the summit Biden's administration launched a number of coalitions and initiatives to limit climate change and help to reduce its impacts, among others a Global Climate Ambition Initiative to help low income countries achieve those targets, and a "Net-Zero Producers Forum, with Canada, Norway, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, together representing 40% of global oil and gas production"[3]

Several countries increased their climate pledges in the summit. Several countries deliver vague promises, and statements:

Main commitments and statements made in the summit
CountryCommitments/Statements
Image United StatesPledged to reduce its emissions by 50% - 52% by 2030 relative to the level of 2005.[2]
Image BrazilPledged to end deforestation by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.[4] Presented an action plan to "move quickly towards reversing deforestation," in 12 months if necessary resources will be given[5]
Image JapanPledged to reduce emissions by 46% by 2030 compared to the level of 2013 (instead of 26% before) and achieve net - zero emissions by 2050.[4]
Image CanadaPledged to reduce emissions by 40% - 45% by 2030 relative to the level of 2005 (instead of 30% before).[4]
Image IndiaReaffirmed its previous target of installing 450 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030. With the United States created an "India-U.S. Climate and Clean Energy Agenda Partnership for 2030".[4]
Image RussiaPledged to reduce significantly its emissions in the next 3 decades, called for a global reduction in methane emissions.[4]
Image ChinaReaffirmed its pledges to peak its emissions by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2060. Agreed to cooperate with the US in climate issues.[4] Pledged to strictly control its coal burning by 2025 and reduce it from 2026.[2]
Image South KoreaPledged to stop financing coal related projects abroad.[4]
Image United KingdomPledged to reduce emissions by 78% by 2035[3]
Image European UnionAnnounced the embedment in law of a target of reducing emissions by at least 55% by 2030 and by 100% by 2050[3]

In the beginning of May, 2021, Climate Action Tracker released a more detailed report about the significance of the summit. According to the report the summit, together with the pledges made from September 2020, reduce the expected rise in temperature by 2100 by 0.2 degrees. If all pledges are fulfilled the temperature will rise by 2.4 °C. However, if the policies will remain as they are now it will rise by 2.9 °C. In the most optimistic scenario, if the countries will fulfill also the pledges that are not part of Paris agreement it will rise by 2.0 °C.[6][7]

Use of masks

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After the summit, there were claims spread that Joe Biden was the only leader there wearing a mask, which was later proved was wrong as at least 5 other world leaders were wearing masks.[8][9]

Notes

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  1. ↑ The de jure head of government of China is the Premier, whose current holder is Li Keqiang. The President of China is legally a ceremonial office, but the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (de facto leader) has always held this office since 1993 except for the months of transition, and the current paramount leader is Xi Jinping.

References

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  1. ↑ "Biden invites Bolsonaro and 39 other world leaders to climate meeting". G1 (in Portuguese). 27 March 2021. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "New momentum reduces emissions gap, but huge gap remains - analysis". Climate Action Tracker. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 "Leaders Summit Showcases Clean Energy Commitments to Tackle Global Climate Crisis". SDG knowledge hub. International Institute for Sustainable development. Archived from the original on 2021-04-28. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Newburger, Emma (22 April 2021). "Here's what countries pledged on climate change at Biden's global summit". CNBC. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  5. ↑ Mahtani, Melissa; Wagner, Meg; Macaya, Melissa (23 April 2021). "Biden hosts global climate change summit on Earth Day". CNN. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  6. ↑ "Global Update: Climate Summit Momentum". Carbon Action Tracker. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  7. ↑ Harrabin, Roger (4 May 2021). "Climate change: Promises will mean rise of 2.4C - study". BBC. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  8. ↑ "Fact Check-Several world leaders wore masks at virtual climate summit". Reuters. 28 April 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  9. ↑ "Fact check: Biden was not the only world leader wearing mask during virtual climate summit". USA Today. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
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