The Leaders Summit on Climate, hosted by US President Biden, kicks off a crunch year for climate action and a ‘decade of delivery’ for climate, nature and development.
Starting on Earth Day - 22nd April - the virtual summit brings together leaders from the world’s biggest economies and from some of the most vulnerable countries, to discuss how to unlock the ambitious action and sector changes required to tackle the climate crisis.
Many leaders are expected to make key announcements at the summit that, it is hoped, will help accelerate the political momentum needed to lay the foundations for effective delivery in the years to come, as well as ensure a successful outcome at the annual climate talks (COP26) scheduled for this November in Glasgow.
WWF, and the world, are looking to the leaders attending the summit to turn their promises into action and make commitments that scale up national climate action with concrete plans. We urge countries to include nature-based solutions in their national climate plans. Nature-based solutions encompass a commitment to end deforestation and habitat conversion, ecosystem-based adaptation opportunities in all countries. It is imperative that these plans - called nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement - are embedded in any economic stimulus and recovery packages, and are supported by appropriate policies.
WWF urges leaders to ensure that the critical contribution to reducing emissions being made by businesses, cities, states and other sub-national institutions be embedded in their national climate plans as well.
Finally, countries must include their adaptation strategies in their climate plans and phase out harmful subsidies, starting with eliminating all fossil fuel subsidies.
Leaders are also called on to sign the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature where 84 countries from all regions and the European Union, have already committed to reversing biodiversity loss by 2030.Read more on the WWF Summit website here.
