The US President has invited 40 world leaders including Modi for a virtual leaders summit on climate scheduled for next month, reports Asian Lite News
US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, will be visiting India next week, as part of his first Asia tour, for consultations on increasing climate ambition ahead of US President Joe Biden’s Leader’s Summit on Climate.
It will be his first trip to Asia since taking office early this year. Kerry will be travelling to UAE, India and Bangladesh from April 1-9.
John Kerry is the second top official of the Biden Administration visiting India. In March, US Defence secretary Lloyd Austin visited New Delhi.
Taking to Twitter, Kerry said, “Looking forward to meaningful discussions with friends in the Emirates, India, and Bangladesh on how to tackle the climate crisis.”
“Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry will travel to Abu Dhabi, New Delhi, and Dhaka April 1-9, 2021, for consultations on increasing climate ambition ahead of President Biden’s Leaders Summit on Climate April 22-23 and the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change later this year,” a statement by State Department read.
US President Joe Biden has invited 40 world leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a virtual leaders summit on climate scheduled for next month.
The leaders’ summit on climate will underscore the urgency – and the economic benefits – of stronger climate action, according to a statement by the White House on Friday.
The two-day summit will be held from April 22 to 23.
It will be a key milestone on the road to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) this November in Glasgow.
The summit is meant to position Biden, and the U.S., as the global leader in meeting the climate change challenge and boost his stature.
“By the time of the summit, the U.S. will announce an ambitious 2030 emissions target as its new Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement for limiting the damage from climate change, the White House said.
Biden has asked all U.S. government agencies to come up with ways to cut greenhouse emissions and harness green energy.
He appointed former Secretary of State John Kerry to be his international emissary for climate change, reflecting the high priority it has on his agenda.
He is reaching out to the leaders of China and Russia, whom he has harshly criticized over their human rights record and their international rivalry with the U.S., to work together on the climate agenda despite their differences.
Biden wants countries around the world to take steps to limit emissions to a level that would limit planetary warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius “in order to stave off the worst impacts of climate change,” the White House said.
“The president urged leaders to use the summit as an opportunity to outline how their countries also will contribute to stronger climate ambition.”
India will be under U.S. pressure to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by being shown as the world’s third-highest emitter of greenhouse gases after Beijing and Washington.
However, that picture is misleading as on a per capita basis the U.S. emissions were nearly nine times that of India.
An Indian emitted only 1.96 tons of greenhouse gases in a year, while an American was responsible for 16.56 tons.
For all the posturing and preaching, Biden or the climate change activists in the U.S. are not going to bring down the U.S. per capita emissions anywhere near the Indian level while demanding that India cut down its emissions overall.
India is already promoting green energy to eventually eliminate fossil fuel-generated electricity. It is reportedly working on a goal of achieving a net-zero emissions by 2050.
The Climate Summit will be Modi’s second multilateral virtual meeting with Biden. Earlier this month, Biden and Modi were joined by Prime Minister Yoshihide Sugo of Japan and Scott Morrison of Australia at a summit of the Quad.
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