US to halve its carbon emissions, India to go green by 2030

US President Joe Biden on Thursday said America will cut its carbon emissions by up to 52% by the end of this decade, to bring them down to the levels in year 2005. 

In his address to the Leaders’ Summit on Climate, hosted by the US, Biden said the US and other big economies have an obligation to bring down greenhouse gas emissions. 

The announcement marks the US’ return to global climate efforts after four years of withdrawal under former president Donald Trump.

America believes its ambitious new plan will encourage other polluting majors such as China to take impactful steps. 

However, experts think the US may not be able to achieve the long-term target given the constantly shifting political environment. 

Addressing the summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of India-US Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership to mobilise investments and enable green collaborations. 

“In its new nationally determined contribution, the US has set an economy-wide target of reducing its net greenhouse gas emissions by 50-52 per cent below 2005 levels in 2030. As part of its climate mitigation efforts, India has set a target of installing 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030... Through this collaboration, India and the SU aim to demonstrate how the world can align swift climate action with inclusive and resilient economic development, taking into account national circumstances and sustainable development priorities,” a joint statement read.