Boris Johnson threw himself wholeheartedly behind Joe Biden today as the US president tore up the Trump administration’s antipathy towards tackling climate change.
Mr Biden used a climate conference attended by 40 world leaders including Vladimir Putin to pledge to cut US greenhouse gas emissions in half compared to 2005 output within the next decade, a move the Prime Minister hailed as ‘game-changing’.
But the Prime Minister has already faced criticism over his own plans which go far further than those of the US. Mr Johnson has set out the UK’s moves to cut greenhouse gases by 78 per cent of 1990 levels by 2035.
The US reduction – estimated to be around a 41-44 per cent cut on 1990 levels – is part of a national climate plan, which it is submitting as part of its return to the Paris climate accord, the world’s first comprehensive climate treaty which Donald Trump quit when he was president.
According to advice from the UK Government’s advisory Climate Change Committee (CCC), delivering on Mr Johnson’s target will mean radical changes including an end to heating homes with natural gas boilers, eating less meat and dairy produce, and switching to electric cars. Critics said it would cost £10,000 to upgrade homes and mean a cut in foreign holidays.
But Mr Johnson urged the world’s richest nations to embrace climate action for the sake of growth and jobs today – as he told them it was not just about ‘bunny-hugging’.
‘I’m not saying any of this is going to be easy and there is obviously going to be a political challenge,’ the PM told assembled world leaders.
‘It’s vital for all of us to show that this is not all about some expensive, politically correct, green act of bunny hugging, or however you want to put it, there’s nothing wrong with bunny hugging.
‘What I’m driving at is this is about growth and jobs, and I think the President (Biden) was absolutely right to stress that.
‘We can build back better from this pandemic by building back greener.’
The two-day US-led summit also heard from leaders of major economies including China, Japan, Russia, Canada, India and Australia.
As part of diplomatic efforts in the lead up to the summit, the US and China issued a statement pledging to work together and with other countries on the issue.
The Prime Minister announced a ‘world-leading’ target for the UK to cut emissions by 78 per cent by 2035
The Prime Minister made the remarks as he addressed Joe Biden’s virtual gathering of world leaders, at which the president vowed to halve US emissions by 2030.
All 40 world leaders invited by the White House were in attendance, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, who addressed the summit
There was an odd moment when it was time for Russian President Vladimir Putin to speak. He was introduced while French President Emmanuel Macron – in pretaped remarks – was still talking. Then Putin sat silently on screen as Biden sat quietly in the East Room with no one speaking; finally Putin spoke after being introduced again
Among the countries bringing forward new targets were Japan, whose prime minister Yoshihide Suga said its target would be a 46 per cent cut on 2013 levels, compared to an earlier 26 per cent goal, with efforts to push the reduction as high as 50 per cent.
Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau announced his country’s new target of slashing carbon emissions by 40 per cent to 45 per cent by 2030 compared to 2005 levels, saying it was “on track to blow past” the old target of a 30 per cent cut.
The European Union has agreed a new climate law which includes a goal to cut its emissions by 55 per cent by 2030 on 1990 levels.
Mr Johnson set out the UK’s moves to cut greenhouse gases by 78 per cent by 2035.
‘As host of Cop26 we want to see similar ambitions around the world, we are working with everybody from the smallest nations to the biggest emitters to secure commitments that will keep change to within 1.5C,’ he said.
‘I think we can do it, to do it we need scientists in all of our countries to work together to produce the technological solutions that humanity is going to need,’ he said, pointing to technology to store carbon and cheap hydrogen.
He added: ‘It will mean the richest nations coming together and exceeding the 100 billion US dollar commitment that they already made in 2009’ to support developing countries, stressing how important that was.
It comes ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November.
President Biden told the summit it could help build a more prosperous, equitable society, stressing the jobs that could be created.
‘The signs are unmistakeable, the science is undeniable. The cost of inaction keeps mounting.
‘The United States isn’t waiting, we are resolving to take action, not only our federal government but our cities and our states all across our country, small business, large corporations, American workers in every field,’ he said.
He said the US only represented 15 per cent of the world’s emissions and that no nation can solve the crisis on its own.
President Joe Biden, center, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, right, listen during the virtual Leaders Summit on Climate, from the East Room of the White House
The world leaders joined the Climate Summit virtually
Canada’s Prime Minster Justin Trudeau raised his country’s goal to of an emissions cut of 40%-45% by 2030 below 2005 levels, up from 30%
‘All of us, particularly those who represent the world’s largest economies, we have to step up.
‘Those that do take action and make bold investments in their people, in clean energy futures, will win the good jobs of tomorrow and make their economies more resilient and more competitive.’
Countries have been expected to come forward with more ambitious plans up to 2030, known as nationally determined contributions (NDC) in the Paris deal, ahead of Cop26 in November.
That is because existing plans are not enough to meet countries’ commitments under the Paris deal to curb global temperature rises to ‘well below’ 2C above pre-industrial levels – or 1.5C if possible – and avoid the most dangerous impacts of climate change.
Chinese president Xi Jinping has called for a ‘people-centred’ approach to the climate crisis.
President Xi said: ‘We must treat nature as our root, respect it, protect it and follow its laws, we should protect nature and preserve the environment like we protect our eyes.
‘Second, we must be committed to green development – green mountains are gold mountains, to protect the environment is to protect productivity and to boost the environment is to boost productivity.
‘The truth is as simple as that.’
He added: ‘We must be committed to a people-centred approach, the environment concerns the wellbeing of people in all countries, we need to take into full account people’s desire for a better quality of life and good environment as well as our responsibility for future generations.’
Vladimir Putin told the climate summit that since the 1990s Russia has halved its annual carbon dioxide emissions from 3.1 billion tonnes to 1.6 billion tonnes, and could be carbon neutral as early as 2025.
‘This has become possible because of a fundamental restructuring of our industry and energy that has been under way for the last two decades,’ he said.
‘As a result, as of now, 45 per cent of our energy mix is accounted for by low-emission energy sources, including nuclear generation.’
Mr Putin said Russia planned to carry out a ‘large-scale campaign’ of environmental modernisation and greater efficiency across all sectors of its economy, including the use of carbon capture and storage from all carbon sources.
He continued: ‘We’re also building an infrastructure for producing hydrogen to be used both as a fuel, and an energy source.’
Mr Putin said Russia was also developing a carbon pricing and trading system, claiming such a system could allow Russia to be carbon neutral as early as 2025.