Pressure from Joe Biden's new green-leaning U.S. administration and Australian states could see Canberra set a goal to become carbon-neutral by 2050, climate experts said, urging stronger policies to phase out fossil fuels and push sustainable farming.
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BRUSSELS (Reuters) - President Xi Jinping’s pledge that China will achieve carbon neutrality before 2060 is the most significant climate policy move for years and, if achieved, could curb likely global warming by 0.2-0.3 Celsius this century, researchers said.
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Xi’s surprise announcement at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday is the first time the world’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide has committed to ending its net contribution to climate change.
If delivered, the pledge would bring about the biggest reduction in projected global warming of any climate commitment made to date, according to research consortium Climate Action Tracker (CAT).
Heavy rains are expected to continue into the early autumn in Australia, although the 2020-21 La Niña weather pattern has likely peaked, the country's weather bureau said on Tuesday.
Converting large areas of land for farming to boost food supplies increases planet-heating emissions and places a greater burden on poorer nations already bearing the brunt of climate change, researchers warned on Tuesday.
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on Friday named former Deputy CIA Director David Cohen to reprise his role at the U.S. intelligence agency as he continued to fill out top roles for his administration.