New Delhi: US President Joe Biden has called upon major economies of the world to cut down methane gas emission by at least 30 percent from 2020 levels by the end of this decade. Biden was virtually addressing the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (MEF) on September 17.
Biden said that cutting down global methane emission would not just help tackle climate change in the short term but will also improve public health, agriculture and fuel output. “We believe that the collective goal is ambitious but realistic and we urge you to join us in announcing this pledge at COP26,” he said at the virtual conference.
Tackling the climate change issue has been a priority for Biden. On his first day in office, he had reversed his predecessor Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement – a legally binding international treaty adopted by around 200 countries.
Representing India at the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (MEF) Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav said that combating climate change is a shared global challenge and our response must be based on the fundamental principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.
Yadav in his remarks highlighted that though India’s share of world population is 17 percent the country’s share in cumulative historical emissions is just 4 percent and even the current annual emissions are only 5.2 percent of the global emissions and the per capita emissions are about a third of the global average.
“It is clear that we are not a part of the problem but India wants to be a part of the solution to the climate crisis,” Bhupender Yadav said.
The virtual conference led by Biden was aimed at facilitating candid dialogue among major emitter countries, both developed and developing, to garner political leadership to advance climate action.
“The world needs rapid, sustained, and deep emission cuts in this decade rather than distant targets,” said Yadav, underscoring collaborative and cohesive global efforts to keep the Paris Agreement temperature goal within reach.
