Christian Aid response to new climate pledges by US and Japan
Responding to President Biden’s new national climate plan as part of the Paris Agreement (Nationally Determined Contribution), Christian Aid’s climate policy lead, Dr Kat Kramer, said:
“It’s great to see President Biden recognising that the United States is making climate action a Presidential priority. As the biggest historical emitter it has a vital role in tackling the climate crisis. But this needs to be the start of climate action in 2021, not the end.
“The impacts of climate change continue to affect all parts of the world, especially the poorest places where people have the least protections from rising temperatures and rising sea levels. Any credible government that claims to be a responsible player on the global stage needs to show they understand this – through actions as well as words.
"As well as providing adequate climate finance for damage done in the past, as nations look to kick start their economies, we have a vital opportunity to create a global green recovery, in which rich nations stand in active solidarity with poorer ones. That would be what puts us on track to limit global warming to 1.5ºC. This pledge by the US is a welcome first step but we need to see countries around the world accelerating actions and providing needed support to make it a global reality.”
In response to the new NDC from Japan she added:
"After withering denunciations of Japan’s NDC announcement last year, it is good to see that Japan has raised its goal to 46% emissions reductions by 2030 from 2013 levels. Still, this does not reflect the calls in Japan for a halving of emissions. Japan should urgently increase its ambition further.
"Japan has significant technological expertise, but needs to put this to saving the planet through production and provision of renewable forms of energy, especially to support the energy needs of people in poorer countries, and end its outrageous export of “cleaner” coal technology. There is no such thing as “clean” coal and Japan needs to join the UK and others in ending support for fossil fuels overseas.”
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