Uhuru among 40 invited for Leaders Summit on Climate

 

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta is among some 40 leaders invited to the Leaders Summit on Climate by United States President Joe Biden.

Mr Uhuru was invited as part of a small group of African leaders that included President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cyril Ramaphosa of  South Africa, Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon and Nigeria’s Muhammadu Buhari.

The Summit, a two-day virtual event that began today (April 22), is aimed at underscoring the urgency – and the economic benefits – of stronger climate action, and galvanising action by the leading economies to tackle the global climate crisis, ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) this November in Glasgow.

At the opening of the summit President Biden said that the science and cost of climate change was undeniable. He called on all, and especially the leading global economies to set higher climate ambitions and act urgently to forestall global warming that exceeds 1.5 degrees Celsius, and help vulnerable countries adapt to climate impacts. 

Greenhouse gases

The US announced its ambitious 2030 emissions target as its new Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement.

“The United States sets out on a path to cut greenhouse gases in half by the end of this decade (2030). That’s where we’re headed as an economy and that is what we can do if we take action to build an economy that’s not only more prosperous but healthier, fairer and cleaner for the entire planet. This path will set America on a mission of a net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050,” said the US president.

He added, “But the truth is America represents less than 50 percent of the world’s emissions and no nation can solve this crisis on its own as all fully understand. All of and particularly those who represent the world’s largest economies have to step up and those that do take bold actions in clean energy future will win the good jobs of tomorrow while making their economies more resilient and more competitive.”

He highlighted examples of how enhanced climate ambition will create better paying jobs, advance ground-breaking technologies, and help vulnerable countries adapt to climate impacts.

In recent years, scientists have underscored the need to limit planetary warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius in order to stave off the worst impacts of climate change.  A key goal of both the Leaders Summit and COP26 will be to catalyze efforts to keep that 1.5-degree goal within reach. 

Climate change

President Biden took action on his first day in office to return the US to the Paris Agreement.  Days later, on January 27, he announced that he would soon convene a leaders’ summit on climate change.

It is hoped that summit which reconvenes the US-led Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, which brings together 17 countries responsible for approximately 80 percent of global emissions and global GDP, will elucidate how climate action can have global economic and social benefits as well as nudge the world's major economies and private sector to build new nature-based solutions, businesses and industries that will help reduce emissions in this decade.

The US President urged leaders to use the summit as an opportunity to outline how their countries also will contribute to stronger climate ambition.  BY DAILY NATION