 Technical glitch interrupts Macron speech to climate summit Washington (AFP) April 22, 2021 - The perils of virtual high-stakes diplomacy hit the world stage on Thursday when a technical mixup saw hosts United States cut off France's Emmanuel Macron mid-speech during the global climate summit. The streamed summit, in which US President Joe Biden announced aggressive new targets for cutting emissions and other world leaders reaffirmed their commitments, suffered a rocky start when an echo marred the entirety of Vice President Kamala Harris's remarks. The issue was resolved though, as comments by Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi were largely trouble-free when they spoke live by video link. But barely one minute into Macron's address, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heard speaking over the French president to thank him, then turned the floor over to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin appeared to hesitate, and looked off camera multiple times. Blinken, in an aside, said "they may be getting Macron because that was a tape of Macron." Eventually Putin delivered his remarks, telling the summit that Russia was committed to fulfilling its obligations to fight climate change. Afterward came an apology of sorts, with Blinken telling listeners that "we had some technical difficulties." Macron's speech was then replayed in its entirety, although there were still some glitches with delayed translator's remarks.
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President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia, the world's fourth-highest producer of carbon emissions, was committed to fulfilling its international obligations to combat climate change.
Russia has set numerous heat records in recent years, with the first half of 2020 seeing the warmest temperatures since the country began weather observations.
"Russia is approaching with complete responsibility its fulfilment of international obligations in this area," Putin told a summit hosted by US President Joe Biden.
He added that Russia had set out to "significantly limit" net emissions by 2050.
"Despite Russia's size, its geography, climate and the structure of its economy, I am sure this task is achievable," Putin added.
He concluded by saying that Russia was interested in "stepping up international cooperation" on climate change.
Rising temperatures are contributing to increasingly regular and devastating floods and forest fires in Siberia.
Putin said earlier this week that Russia would set an emissions target "lower than in the European Union".
In March last year, Russia released a draft of its long-term strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
It envisions a 33 percent cut by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
High temperatures also account for melting permafrost -- which covers about two-thirds of Russia -- posing a hazard for the infrastructure built there, including the vast network of gas and oil pipelines.
This also releases carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere that further triggers global warming.
Weather monitors have recorded a historic decline in the summer ice cover of Russia's Arctic maritime shipping route, called the Northern Sea Route.
Transit of the eastern Arctic usually ends in November but Russia hopes climate change means the commercial benefit of the route will increase.
Canada's Trudeau pledges new emissions reduction target of 40-45%
Washington (AFP) April 22, 2021 -
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the global climate summit Thursday that Canada will make deeper cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
The new target is to cut those emissions by 40-45 percent below 2005 levels, Trudeau said, upping the previous goal of 30 percent under the Paris climate accord.
"We must take action now. Because there's no vaccine against a polluted planet," Trudeau told the virtual summit being hosted by US President Joe Biden.
He said his government will enshrine this new goal in a law as Canada works to become carbon neutral by 2050.
As it presented a budget Monday the government had already raised Canada's emissions reduction target to 36 percent below 2005 levels.
In his speech Trudeau said Canada had adopted one of the strictest carbon taxes in the world. It will go from $50 per ton of CO2 -- the main greenhouse gas -- to $170 a ton by 2030.
"Yes, you heard that right - $170 a ton," he said.
"If major economies in the room were to follow Canada's lead and adopt a rising price on pollution and commit to phase out coal plants, we would accelerate our global path for a safe, prosperous net-zero future," Trudeau said.
Radio-Canada said Wednesday that a minimum 40 percent target was the "price of entry" to the summit, which marks the United States's return to the climate table.
On Tuesday, former US vice president Al Gore urged Trudeau in a Twitter message to try for a reduction of at least 50 percent by 2030.
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