COP27: Joe Biden issues climate rallying cry to world leaders
Image credit: BBC
US Vice President Joe Biden stated at the UN meeting COP27 that every country has a duty and responsibility to take action on climate change.
After the US midterm elections gave the president better-than-expected results, Mr. Biden gave a speech in Egypt.
He asserted that the US is a worldwide climate leader because it has passed extensive legislation to address global warming.
For the two-week gathering, about 35,000 people are in Sharm el-Sheikh.
According to Mr. Biden, “the climate catastrophe is about the very life of the planet as well as human security, economic security, environmental security, and national security.”
He repeated remarks made on Monday by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a justification for moving forward with climate action.
He discussed the effects of climate change on African nations, including a four-year drought in the Horn of Africa, noting that the last eight years had been the warmest on record.
Methane emissions from the oil and gas industries will be subject to stricter US regulations, Mr. Biden pledged. The most potent greenhouse gas, methane, greatly aids in warming the climate on Earth.
The US approved laws in August to combat climate change, which experts have characterised as “radical” and “historic.” By 2030, US greenhouse gas emissions might be cut by 40% thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act.
In the Tuesday midterm elections, Mr. Biden’s Democratic party feared that it would lose seats that were critical to their climate plan. But it outperformed expectations.
The sixth day of the COP conference is dedicated to putting bold commitments made at COP26 in Glasgow last year into action.
Richer nations have been urged to pay for the irreparable harm that climate change causes to vulnerable nations’ infrastructure.
Human rights organisations draw attention to the suffering of the 60,000 or so political prisoners believed to be held in Egypt.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the gathering that the world is “on a path to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator.”
A report issued on Friday warned that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are increasing so swiftly that there is a 50% possibility the globe will soon surpass the critical 1.5C warming barrier.