សហរដ្ឋអាមេរិក និងចិនអំពាវនាវឱ្យមាន "សកម្មភាព" ប៉ុន្តែមិនមានការសន្យាថ្មីនៅ COP26 ទេ

 'This is the decade that will determine' whether world does what is needed, Biden says

GLASGOW -- The leaders of the U.S. and China, the world's two largest emitters of greenhouse gases, had strikingly different levels of visibility at the United Nations climate change conference here, but a similar message on one point: the need for action.

The Biden administration is "working overtime to show that our climate commitment is action, not words," the U.S. president told the 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), making a personal appearance at the summit.

"Will we act? Will we do what is necessary?" Biden asked, adding: "This is the decade that will determine the answer."

Xi, who did not attend, urged countries in a written statement to "focus on concrete action" and "honor their commitments, set realistic targets and visions, and do their best according to national conditions to deliver their climate action measures."

COP26 has been hailed as the most important international meeting on climate since the Paris agreement in 2015. Nations that have signed the accord are expected to renew or scale up their commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, in order to limit global warming to 1.5 C by the end of the century.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the leaders with a grim warning: "Failure is not an option. Failure is a death sentence."

Nations' current pledges are leading the planet to a heating of 2.7 C by the end of the century, according to a U.N. report. And progress on even these targets is lacking, experts say.

Biden appeared eager to show a renewed American commitment to fighting climate change after his predecessor Donald Trump's rejection of the Paris deal, although he offered little in the way of new U.S. initiatives.

"On my very first day in office I took action, returning the United States into the Paris agreement", Biden said. "We'll demonstrate that, not only the United States are back at the table, but hopefully we'll lead by the power of our example."

Xi, too, announced no new major commitments. He stressed a theme China has often hammered on in international climate talks: developed nations' responsibility for funding the shift to clean energy.

"Developed countries should not only do more themselves, but should also provide support to help developing countries do better," he said.

Developed countries have not kept their promise to give $100 billion annually to developing countries in order to help them in the climate transition. This pledge was a pillar of Paris' promises of 2015.

This issue was present in many leader's speeches, and Biden announced that he is working on quadrupling the financial support to developing countries by 2024. "We are also going to try to do our part when it comes to help the rest of the world in taking into action as well", he explained. "It's imperative to support developing nations."

The countries were reprimanded by Guterres, who reminded that "this COP must be a moment of solidarity."

"The $100 billion a year climate finance commitment in support of developing countries must become a $100 billion climate finance reality. This is critical to restoring trust and credibility," said Guterres.

The conference has been marred by the absence of many world leaders, unable to attend owing to COVID-19 restrictions. Most of these delegations are from developing countries that are most at risk of the consequences of climate change in the near future.

In the absence of Xi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared to don the mantle of the leading representative of developing nations. India aims to achieve to net zero carbon emissions by 2070, the prime minister said.

Besides Xi, President Vladimir Putin of Russia, another notable emitter nation, is also absent from the conference.

Nikkei Asia