Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Climate Unfulfilled Pledges

  Biden will meet the chief of the European Union's executive, Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Charles Michel. The meeting marks the return of EU-US collaboration on fighting climate change. The United States and EU are the world's second and third-biggest emitters of CO2, respectively, after China. A draft of their summit statement, seen by Reuters, outlines plans for a transatlantic alliance to develop green technologies and points to sustainable finance as an area for closer transatlantic collaboration.

It did not include firm promises of cash. It also stopped short of setting a date for the United States and EU to quit burning coal, the most polluting fossil fuel and the single biggest of greenhouse gas emissions.

Australia's reliance on coal-fired power makes it one of the world's largest carbon emitters per capita, but its conservative government has steadfastly backed the country's fossil fuel industries. Australia has refused to budge from its Paris Agreement commitment to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 26% to 28% from 2005 levels by 2030.

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