Climate Summit Sess. Ends With New Pledges From US, Japan But Not China

The first session of the US-organised global climate summit has come to an end for the morning break, after a session in which the US and Japan made commitments to major carbon dioxide emission reductions, but no new initiatives from China.

• President Biden pledged to cut US CO2 emissions by 50-52% over the course of the next decade, doubling the previous target.
• Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga stated a new aim for Japan to cut emissions 46% by 2030, a greater cut than the previous 26% reduction target.
• Many eyes were on Chinese President Xi Jinping and whether he would announce any new targets for Chinese emissions cuts. In the event, no new policies were announced, with the target remaining China reaching a carbon emissions peak in 2030 and to reach carbon neutrality by 2060. Xi also hinted that coal would remain part of China's energy mix until 2031 at the earliest (given he stated a drawdown in coal use would begin in the 15th five-year plan which starts in 2026).
• US attempting to use the summit to push big polluters towards making significant emission cut pledges before this year's COP26 summit in Glasgow, UK in November.