Leaders from around the world gathered in New York City this week for the United Nations Climate Action Summit to address the urgent need for action on climate change. The summit was led by UN Secretary General António Guterres, who called on countries to come with concrete plans to reduce carbon emissions and enhance commitments to the Paris Agreement. Many world leaders presented new plans for reducing their carbon footprint and investing in renewable energy.
Germany announced that they will phase out coal by 2038, France committed to a carbon-neutral economy by 2050, and China pledged to increase its use of non-fossil fuels to 20% by 2030. However, some major players in global emissions were noticeably absent from the summit. The United States, one of the largest polluters in the world, did not formally participate in the summit. President Trump, Scotland News Today who withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement in 2017, made a brief appearance but did not offer any new proposals for addressing climate change.
Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, also did not attend the summit, despite rampant wildfires destroying parts of the Amazon rainforest in recent months. Bolsonaro has been criticized for his handling of the situation and his lack of action on climate change. The summit also highlighted the urgent need to address the disproportionate impact of climate change on vulnerable communities, particularly in developing countries.