Welcoming United States Move to Re-Enter Paris Agreement, Secretary-General Calls for Ambitious Targets, Accelerated Efforts towards Net-Zero Emissions

The following statement by Secretary-General António Guterres was issued today:

I warmly welcome [United States] President [Joseph R.] Biden’s steps to re‑enter the Paris Agreement on climate change and join the growing coalition of Governments, cities, states, businesses and people taking ambitious action to confront the climate crisis.

Following last year’s Climate Ambition Summit, countries producing half of global carbon pollution had committed to carbon neutrality.  Today’s commitment by President Biden brings that figure to two thirds.  But, there is a very long way to go.  The climate crisis continues to worsen and time is running out to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C and build more climate‑resilient societies that help to protect the most vulnerable.

We look forward to the leadership of the United States in accelerating global efforts towards net‑zero, including by bringing forward a new nationally determined contribution with ambitious 2030 targets and climate finance in advance of COP26 [the twenty-sixth United Nations Climate Change Conference] in Glasgow later this year.

I am committed to working closely with President Biden and other leaders to overcome the climate emergency and recover better from COVID-19.