Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, stated that leadership is what we need before heading to Rome for a summit of the Group 20 most developed countries. The 26th U.N. The 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, begins Sunday.
We need leadership to make credible decarbonization commitments in order to achieve the goal of net zero by the mid-century. However, we need to make enough commitments in order to reduce emissions over the next decade," von der Leyen said to reporters in Brussels.
The U.N. has released a new report. The U.N. Environment Programme found that new pledges from governments to reduce emissions are increasing hopes, but not enough to prevent global warming exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degree Fahrenheit) by 2025.
EU chief calls for climate leadership in a moment of truth
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, waits for the start of the College of Commissioners meeting at EU Headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, October 27, 2021.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, waits for the start of a meeting of College of Commissioners at EU Headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, October 27, 2021.
The chief executive of the European Union called for climate leadership on Thursday ahead of two major international meetings focusing on global warming. He warned that leaders around the world face "a moment" of truth.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, stated that leadership is what we need before heading to Rome for a summit of the Group 20 most developed countries. The 26th U.N. The 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, begins Sunday.
We need leadership to make credible decarbonization commitments in order to achieve the goal of net zero by the mid-century. However, we need to make enough commitments in order to reduce emissions over the next decade," von der Leyen said to reporters in Brussels.
The U.N. has released a new report. The U.N. Environment Programme found that new pledges from governments to reduce emissions are increasing hopes, but not enough to prevent global warming exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degree Fahrenheit) by 2025.
The report concluded that the recent announcements of dozens of countries, including 27-nation EU members, to have "net-zero" emission goals by 2050 could, if fully implemented by all, limit global temperature rises to 2.2 degrees Celsius (4 F), This is closer than the target set in the 2015 Paris climate agreement of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 F) per year, but it's still higher than the less strict target.
Von der Leyen stated that the world is still on a "very dangerous course" and that leaders need to take immediate action to reduce the rise in global temperatures to below 2 degrees.
It's not a matter of 30-40 years. It's now. She said that it's the decade in which we must improve or we risk reaching irreversible tipping point."
From Oct. 31 to Nov. 12, leaders, diplomats and scientists will meet in Glasgow to discuss ways countries and businesses can adjust their targets in order to avoid more extreme climate change scenarios. These include a greater sea-level rise, more wild weather, and more droughts.
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned Tuesday that global warming could be "an existential danger to humanity." Guterres said that he will use his visit to the G20 summit in order to push all countries, even major emerging economies like China, to take action on climate change.
