European business leaders call on Biden to hike emissions cuts by 2030
A group of European business leaders and politicians have today called on US President Joe Biden to dramatically increase its commitment to cutting greenhouse gases by the end of the decade.
In a joint statement, 107 chief execs and lawmakers wrote: “We, European political decision makers, CEOs, business organizations, trade unions and think tanks, call the United States to fulfill its ambitions by adopting a climate goal of reducing by at least 50 per cent GHG emissions by 2030 compared to 2005 levels.”
At the moment, the US has pledged to reduce emissions by 26 per cent -28 per cent by 2025, under a commitment signed by former President Barack Obama.
The statement comes ahead of a virtual gathering of world leaders on 22 April, at which the US is expected to reveal its latest emissions-cutting target.
Biden has made climate change a central plank of his presidency so far, with his recent $2 trillion infrastructure strategy setting out plans to spend billions on assets such as electric vehicle charge points.
Hiking emissions cuts to 50 per cent by 2030 would closely align the US’ climate targets to those of the EU, which has set out plans to reduce emissions by 55 per cent by the same deadline.
Environmental analysts have said that a cut of 57 to 63 per cent would put the US on track to reduce emissions to net-zero by 2050, in line with the Paris Climate Accords.
The letter, which was co-ordinated by French European Parliament Pascal Canfin, was signed by chief execs including Unilever’s Alan Jope and H&M’s Helena Helmersson.