Earth Day Summit: Biden’s chance to claim climate leadership

US President Joe Biden is trying to shepherd world leaders towards stronger climate goal commitments after Washington’s disengagement during the Trump administration.

Climate activists are eagerly awaiting Thursday’s kick-off of the virtual Earth Day Summit hosted by United States President Joe Biden, hoping that a more planet-friendly administration will mark a giant leap forward in US leadership on what many see as the defining challenge of our times. During the two-day confab involving some 40 nations, the US is expected to announce an aggressive new target for curbing carbon emissions by 2030. World leaders are also expected to keep twisting Brazil’s arm to crack down on deforestation in the Amazon region. And bilateral discussions — if successful — could compel Japan, China, South Korea or Canada to announce new aspirations for meeting goals consistent with the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate. Since Biden took office three months ago, the policy environment around climate issues has changed drastically, with the new president ratcheting up expectations that the US can help steer other nations towards a low-carbon future.