US pledges to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2030
WASHINGTON : The Biden administration yesterday pledged to slash US greenhouse gas emissions by 50 to 52 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030, a new target it hopes will spur other big emitter countries to raise their ambition to combat climate change.
The goal was unveiled at the start of a two-day climate summit hosted by Democratic President Joe Biden. It comes as the US seeks to reclaim leadership in the fight against global warming. The US is the world's second biggest emitter of greenhouse gases.
It also marks an important milestone in Mr Biden's broader plan to decarbonise the US economy entirely by 2050 - an agenda he says can create millions of good-paying jobs but which many Republicans fear will damage the economy.
The emissions cuts are expected to come from power plants, automobiles and other sectors, but the White House has not set individual targets for those industries.
"This is the decade we must make decisions that will avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis," Mr Biden said at the White House.
The new US target nearly doubles former president Barack Obama's pledge of an emissions cut of 26 to 28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2025. Sector- specific goals will be laid out later this year.
The climate summit is being attended by 40 leaders including from China, the world leading emitter.
President Xi Jinping told the Leaders Summit on Climate yesterday that China will start to phase down coal consumption over the 2026 to 2030 period as part of its efforts to reduce climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions.
"We will strictly control coal-fired power generation projects," Mr Xi said, speaking via video link.
World leaders aim to limit global warming to 1.5 deg C above pre-industrial levels, a threshold scientists say can prevent the worst impacts of climate change.- REUTERS
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