Tackling the climate crisis is often compared to a sprint. The main runners are now at the start line Thursday, April 22, after the first of two days of the leaders’ climate summit. The virtual event, which brings together 40 heads of state and government, invited by US President Joe Biden, gave rise to important announcements in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A shot from a race that will lead to the World Climate Conference (COP26), in November in Glasgow, during which States must increase their efforts.
The return of the United States to the climate arena, and its new target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from 50% to 52% by 2030 compared to 2005, has indeed had the expected ripple effect on other polluting countries. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga raised Japan’s target, promising to reduce emissions by 46% by 2030 compared to 2013, from a previous target of 26%, while “Trying” achieve a 50% drop. His Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, meanwhile announced a 40% to 45% reduction in emissions by 2030 from the 2005 level, instead of a previous target of 30%. As for South Korea, whose observers hoped that it would join the “50% club”, it assured that it would increase its efforts between now and COP26, while giving a first major pledge: the end of the financing of coal-fired power stations abroad.
While these promises are not yet aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5 ° C – one of the objectives of the 2015 Paris climate agreement – they “Constitute a substantial step forward”, observes Niklas Höhne, German climatologist at the NewClimate Institute. “There is a semantic shift which testifies to a renewed ambition: all heads of state are now talking about not exceeding 1.5 ° C of warming, and no longer 2 ° C”, notes Lola Vallejo, climate director of the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations. It further considers that the “Peer pressure system works ”, since Japan, which had already submitted targets to the UN in 2020, revised them upwards under international pressure.
“Possible farewell to coal”
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