Photo:AP
By Patryk Krych | The World Daily | APRIL 21st 2021
United States President Joe Biden has recently promised at the global climate summit that the US will be aiming to halve their total carbon emissions by the year 2030, in a move both to show the US’ dedication to the Paris Accords and to provoke other major carbon-spewing countries into action.
For a long time, such countries as China, and other major carbon-powerhouses have expressed their trepidation in joining up with the Paris Climate Accords -a set of accords designed to limit global carbon emissions- due to the lack of US involvement towards environmentalism. The US, originally members of the accords, had left in 2017 shortly after the election of past president Donal Trump.
The US had recently re-joined the Paris Climate Accords under one of the campaign promises of Biden, only hours after taking office. With this came many more environmentally-focused changes, the most recent of which includes a statement by president Biden at the virtual climate summit which hosted 40 world leaders on Thursday.
“The United States is not waiting, the costs of delay are too great, and our nation is resolved to act now,” the Biden administration had stated, shortly after the announcement. “Climate change poses an existential threat, but responding to this threat offers an opportunity to support good-paying, union jobs, strengthen America’s working communities, protect public health, and advance environmental justice.”
The promise by president Biden is a major one, equalling to nearly double the emission cuts that had been committed to by the administration of President Barack Obama back in 2015, during the initial creation of the Paris Climate Accords. Thus, this makes it the largest environmental commitment yet to be undertaken by Washington.
The announcement comes in the same week as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s own announcement of the UK’s commitment to cut the country’s emissions by 78% on 1990 levels by 2035. The most ambitious climate goals out of any country in the accords thus far.
UK campaigners have noted that such a commitment is major, and will require several pledges and total administrative changes that may go so far as to re-shape certain aspects of the country.
“The UK has shown that it’s possible to slash emissions while growing the economy, which makes the question of reaching net zero not so much technical as political,” Said Johnson. If we actually want to stop climate change, then this must be the year in which we get serious about doing so.”
