By Mathew Carr
Dec. 12, 2020 — LONDON: The world’s most populous nation said it would reduce carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 65% by 2030 vs 2005 levels, a new and ambitious target.
Nations held a virtual climate ambition summit Saturday ahead of a Dec. 31, 2020 deadline by which countries should tighten their climate contributions to the Paris climate agreement.
See this:
https://www.climateambitionsummit2020.org/index.php#programme
China would boost use of renewable power so non-fossil fuel primary energy would reach 25% by 2030, said Chinese president Xi Jinping, speaking at the virtual Climate Ambition Summit.
The nation would increase the forest stock volume by 6 billion cubic metres by 2030 vs 2005 levels, he said.
He called for improved, multilateral governance of the climate crisis and urged all countries to do their part.
In September, the country said it would peak emissions by 2030 and reach net zero emissions before 2060.
Second biggest global emitter after China, the USA, didn’t participate in the summit, though some state representatives did.
Other selected inputs from nations speaking at the summit include (to give a sense of the varied nature of the contributions):
–Colombia to cut greenhouse gas by 51% by 2030 vs 2010
–Argentina would cut its emissions by 25.7% less than its previous nationally determined contribution
–Bangladesh to plant 11.5 million saplings
–Maldives to get to net zero by 2030, assuming it gets enough international support
–Canada to seek to cut emissions by 40% by 2030 vs 2005, but warned it might not reach that
–“Race to Resilience” program announced to boost adaptation ability, especially of developing nations
–Is Pakistan leading the rich world on climate action?
–Former UNFCCC executive secretary Christiana Figueres called for 50% emission cuts by 2030 across the globe
–Congo to introduce transport and waste into its climate plan
–Panama said it was introducing a carbon market
–Austria boosted its Green Climate Fund contribution
–Fiji to plant 30 million trees by 2035
–Sierra Leone’s Freetown to become “treetown”
–Portugal to end coal generation early in 2021
–Armenia suggested a “debt for climate swap” and urged countries to consider the idea. See this: https://www.climatechangenews.com/2020/11/05/debt-climate-swaps-can-help-developing-countries-make-green-recovery/
Videos from the summit neatly laid out here:
https://www.climateambitionsummit2020.org/ondemand.php#cat4
(Updates Saturday afternoon, evening in London with other country contributions, updates with Pakistan Sunday afternoon)