UN Climate Summit: Global Leaders’ Commitments Still Fall Short

China drew attention when President Xi Jinping addressed the summit via video message, countering the U.S. President Donald Trump’s pro-oil and climate-skeptic remarks were delivered the previous day. 

“The green, low-carbon transition is the trend of our time. Although some countries oppose it, the international community must stay the course,” Xi said. 

He pledged that China would cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 7–10% within the next ten years, largely through solar and wind energy. However, scientists stress that this reduction falls well short of what is needed to meet the Paris Agreement’s target of limiting warming to 1.5°C.The experts revealed that China would multiple 3 times this reduction"s target.

The European Union, meanwhile, arrived without a unified plan. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sought to reassure, noting that EU emissions have already fallen by nearly 40% since 1990.

“The world can count on the European Union to remain a climate leader,” she said. Still, divisions within the bloc cast doubt on the strength of its commitments.

French President Emmanuel Macron underscored the central role of science in shaping climate policy. 

"Science must remain at the heart of our findings and our policies,” he said, warning against narratives that portray climate change as a matter of opinion. 

Macron confirmed that Europe will be present at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, and announced that Paris will host 800 IPCC scientists in December to reinforce evidence-based decision-making.

Despite these pledges, observers noted the absence of a true climate champion. Many commitments were described as timid, raising fears that the world remains on track for worsening climate impacts.

@rfi