With an address Monday at the COP26 summit in Glasgow, Scotland, President Joe Biden tried to reestablish the United States’ status as a significant global actor on climate change, The Hill reports.
The UN conference comes at a crucial time for Biden’s administration, as the White House works to get a massive domestic policy measure including climate investments passed through a Congress with a razor-thin Democratic majority. Last week, Biden left Washington without a deal on the issue, weakening his hand as he headed to the meeting.
During his speech, President Joe Biden attempted to persuade foreign leaders that the United States had moved on from Trump’s views and could be trusted in the battle against climate change.
Biden also expressed regret for former President Trump’s decision to remove the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, admitting that it hampered global efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Biden stated that the United States and other affluent nations must help the rest of the world combat climate change and that he will make that argument to the American citizens.
Following Biden’s speech, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he had permitted Biden to speak for longer than the time limit since the United States’ presence at the table was critical.
The United States also unveiled its plan to achieve its long-term objective of net-zero emissions by 2050. Beginning in the fiscal year 2024, the White House wants to ask Congress for $3 billion each year to help vulnerable nations adapt to climate change.
After the Trump years, Biden and the White House have made it plain that they regard the Glasgow meeting as an opportunity to demonstrate fresh US leadership. On the opening day of the summit, US officials organized multiple seminars, including one on the economic argument for climate action and another on climatology.
Biden addressed a Group of 20 (G-20) conference before coming to Glasgow when the leaders issued a vague declaration about achieving net-zero emissions “around 2050.” Some critics have said that the declaration falls short of what is required and lacks explicit pledges.
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