Wednesday, November 03, 2021
Climate summit without Xi and Putin
China and Russia counter Biden’s criticism
197 nations are currently discussing in Glasgow how further global warming can be prevented. Ironically, the heads of state of two of the largest emitters are missing: Russia and China. US President Biden calls this a “big mistake”. The Kremlin and Beijing see this as less of a problem.
China and Russia have rejected US criticism of their climate policy. “Actions speak louder than words,” said Chinese Foreign Office spokesman Wang Wenbin in Beijing. The fight against climate change is about “concrete action, not empty words,” he added. “China’s actions in response to climate change are real.”
In a speech at the World Climate Conference in Glasgow (COP26) yesterday, US President Joe Biden expressed sharp criticism of China and Russia because the presidents of both countries stayed away from the summit. Climate change is “a gigantic problem and they just went away,” said Biden. He called Chinese President Xi Jinping’s decision not to travel to Scotland a “big mistake”. Russia and China have not lived up to expectations of taking a leading role in global climate policy.
Russia also rejected Biden’s allegations. Moscow does not want to downplay the importance of the conference in Glasgow, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov. Russia’s climate policy is “consistent, well thought-out and serious”. Putin himself had only sent a video message to the summit meeting and promised to do more to preserve the forests, even in the face of the severe natural fires in Russia.
Two of the largest issuers
However, the Kremlin chief refrained from traveling himself because of the corona pandemic. Spokesman Peskov also said that Putin could explain Russia’s climate policy to Biden at the next meeting. After their summit on June 16 in Geneva, at which new nuclear disarmament talks were also agreed, the Kremlin said that there was mutual agreement on continuing contacts. There is no appointment. On the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had a brief conversation with Biden. The relationship between the two largest nuclear powers is considered to be worse than it has been since the Cold War.
On Tuesday, more than 80 state leaders in Glasgow joined an EU and US initiative to reduce methane emissions. According to this, methane emissions are to be reduced by at least 30 percent by 2030 compared to 2020. Methane is one of the most powerful greenhouse gases; it is around 80 times more harmful to the climate than CO2. However, some of the largest emitters, including China and Russia, did not join the push.
The COP26 runs until November 12th. 197 nations are negotiating in Glasgow on the further implementation of the Paris Climate Protection Agreement of 2015. The agreement provides for global warming to be limited to well below two degrees, ideally 1.5 degrees, compared to the pre-industrial age. Experts and the UN warn, however, that the earth is currently heading for a warming of 2.7 degrees in this century.