The Biden administration announces a new climate target but the US is still struggling with Trump’s legacy.
The U.S. is almost back in the world’s climate mainstream.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced the U.S. would slash its greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent to 52 percent by 2030, in a bid to reclaim the climate leadership role shredded by Donald Trump.
The target brings the U.S. closer to the EU, which on Wednesday agreed to enshrine its pledge to cut net emissions by 55 percent by 2030 and to become climate neutral by mid-century into a Climate Law.
Some leaders made promises, some just made speeches during the first day of Biden’s virtual global leaders’ summit, with those vows falling short of what’s needed to bring global warming under control.
“Today’s summit shows the tide is turning for climate action, but there is still a long way to go. To avert a permanent climate catastrophe, we must now urgently build on the momentum delivered today, in this make-or-break year for people and planet,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said following speeches from dozens of world leaders.
Here’s what happened on Day 1 of the two-day summit – read the full article here.