#un-climate-summit

#un-climate-summit

Speaking by video at the UN Climate Summit in New York last week, China's president Xi Jinping laid out his country's climate ambitions. While the stated goals may not have been aggressive as some environmentalists would like, Xi at least reaffirmed China's green commitment. "Despite some countries going against the trend, the international community should stay on the right track, maintain unwavering confidence, unwavering action, and undiminished efforts," he said. Any reference to Donald Trump and the United States was surely intended (though not explicit).

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also spoke at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. Pezeshkian told the chamber that Iran has "no intention" to build a nuclear bomb. "I hereby declare once more before this assembly that Iran has never sought and will never seek to build a nuclear bomb. We do not seek to build a nuclear bomb. We do not seek nuclear weapons," Pezeshkian said in his speech.

The nearly 200 countries that signed up to the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate action were already called on by the UN to put forward updated policies on curbing emissions in February, a deadline that was extended till the end of September. Denmark and Spain are among the EU nations that approve a European Commission proposal to cut emissions by 90% by 2040, which was to form the basis of the plan to present to the UN for goals to be achieved by 2035.