On March 26, U.S. President Joe Biden invited 40 world leaders to the Leaders Summit on Climate he will be hosting on April 22 and 23, the White House informed; this is the first action taken by Biden to return the United States to the Paris Agreement after former President Donald Trump announced the decision to leave in 2017 which didn’t become effective until November 2020.
“The Leaders Summit on Climate will underscore the urgency – and the economic benefits – of stronger climate action. It will be a key milestone on the road to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) this November in Glasgow”, informed the press release.
“By the time of the Summit, the United States will announce an ambitious 2030 emissions target as its new Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement. In his invitation, the President urged leaders to use the Summit as an opportunity to outline how their countries also will contribute to stronger climate ambition.”
The list of guests includes leaders of industrialized countries, mainly countries that are responsible for a large percentage of polluting gas emissions, and others that have demonstrated outstanding work in environmental topics, states the press release:
“The Summit will reconvene the U.S.-led Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, which brings together 17 countries responsible for approximately 80 percent of global emissions and global GDP. The President also invited the heads of other countries that are demonstrating strong climate leadership, are especially vulnerable to climate impacts, or are charting innovative pathways to a net-zero economy. A small number of business and civil society leaders will also participate in the Summit.
Despite President Carlos Alvarado’s constant inclusion of sustainability and environmental protection in his speech and policies, Costa Rica is not in the list of guests and neither are any representatives of the Central American nations. From Latin America, however, the invited include the Presidents of Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Colombia.
The Costa Rican government has yet to comment on the exclusion from the summit.
Due to the pandemic the Summit will be held virtually.
Source: The Costa Rica Star
