Climate summit – live: Boris Johnson warns crisis ‘more destructive than Covid’ as he vows to slash emissions

The 2020 summit is about to begin, with Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres speaking first, followed by Boris Johnson.  You can watch the event live here at the top of this blog. 

Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres opened the Climate Ambition summit, stating that “5 years after the Paris Climate Agreement” we are “still not going in the right direction”.

He called on all world leaders to declare a climate emergency to ensure climate neutrality is reached by 2050 and said that this would be the central objective for the UN in 2021.

He emphasised that the world is now 1.2 degrees hotter than during pre-industrial times, and that if we don’t change course, we could reach catastrophic temperature rise of 3 degrees by the end of the century.

He also commended Britain and the EU for their bold new targets, stating that these decisions “deserve to be emulated”. 

Boris Johnson used his slot at the summit to stress Britain’s 10 point climate plan for a “green industrial revolution”. 

In particular, he urged the UK to become “the Saudi Arabia of wind energy", and outlined the government’s goal to ban new internal combustion engines by 2030.

The Prime Minister also hailed a new era of “scientific optimism” and said: “We are coming to the end of an extraordinary year with I think a sudden surge of scientific optimism, because of after barely 12 months of the pandemic we are seeing the vaccine going into the arms of the elderly and the vulnerable.” 

He said that we must “use scientific advances to protect our entire planet, our biosphere against a challenge far worse, far more destructive than coronavirus.

“At the same time, we can create thousands of jobs, millions of jobs as we collectively recover from the pandemic.”

President Xi Jinping has announced that China will enhance key headline targets in its national climate plan. 

He took the summit as an opportunity to detail how the country will cut carbon to reach its recent pledge of net-zero by 2060. 

“China will lower its carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by over 65% from the 2005 levels, increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 25%, increase the forest stock volume by six billion cubic metres from the 2005 level, and bring its total installed capacity of wind and solar power to over 1.2 billion kw.”

He added: "China always honours its commitments - guided by our new development philosophy we will promote greener economic and social development in all aspects, while pursuing high quality development.

“In meeting the climate challenge, no-one can be aloof, and unilateralism will get us nowhere. Only by upholding multilateralism, unity and cooperation can we deliver shared benefits and win-win results for all nations.”

European leaders confirmed their promise, agreed earlier this week, to cut emissions by at least 55% by 2030 on 1990 levels.

Charles Michel, president of the European Council, said the move was a “complete paradigm shift” and would be backed by at least 30 billion euro from the 108 billion euro budget over the next few years.

Speaking at the Climate Ambition summit, he also stressed the need to act collectively and to ensure multi-lateral mobilisation on the path to becoming climate neutral by 2050.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the 55% goal “is a go-ahead for scaling up climate action across our economy and society

She added: “We have already started, from boosting renewable energy, creating hydrogen valleys and producing the most sustainable batteries to launching a wave of building innovation, decarbonising transport and protecting and restoring our nature.

But Mrs von der Leyen said it was not a task for Europe alone, which accounts for less than 10% of emissions,  stating “climate change is more than a European issue, it is human issue”.

She said the EU  is “ready to work towards ambitious commitments with like-minded countries”.

The Pope has said that the Holy See is committed to reaching net-zero greenhouse emissions before 2050.

Speaking at the virtual climate summit, Pope Francis said: “The Vatican City state has committed to reducing net emissions to zero before 2050, stepping up efforts in environmental management that were launched a few years ago.

“These enable the rational use of natural resources such as water and energy, energy efficiency, sustainable transport, reforestation and the circular economy and also in waste management.”

Pope Francis said the Holy See is also determined to promote environmental education among the 70 million people who attend Catholic universities and schools globally. 

Governor Whitmer of Michigan, speaking at the Climate Ambition Summit, said: “As we continue to grapple with the pandemic ripping through our communities, we have seen first hand what happens when US officials fail to prepare.

“We cannot make the same mistake when it comes to the impending climate crisis.”

She warned that recent natural disasters across the US “are just a taste of what's to come” if the world does not take urgent action. 

She also celebrated the plans by individual states to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, saying those decisions “have the potential to create millions of new jobs”.

Ms Whitmer added:  “More than 4,000 cities states, business, healthcare organisations, state groups, tribes colleges and universities and community groups have put forward a new statement to go further in partnership with the federal government.

“Make no mistake, America is all in.”

The climate crisis is far more damaging than coronavirus, the prime minister Boris Johnson has warned.

Opening this weekend’s climate summit, Mr Johnson reaffirmed his commitments to cut the UK’s emissions by 68 per cent by 2030.

The prime minister said “Together, we can reduce our emissions. We can radically cut our dependence on fossil fuels. We can change our agricultural practices.

“In short, we can reverse the process by which, for centuries, humanity has been quilting our planet in a toxic tea cosy of greenhouse gases.”

The UK is co-hosting the virtual Climate Ambition summit today alongside France and the UN.

Apple boss Tim Cook told world leaders that they must act “at this moment of historic urgency” during a speech at the Climate Ambition Summit. 

The head of the technology giant said that “every leader - of nations, of companies and of communities - has a particular burden to act” to cut pollution. 

Earlier this year, the company pledged to become 100 per cent carbon neutral by 2030, across its entire business, including in its supply chains.

In his message, Mr Cook confirmed that Apple has already increased the number of suppliers who have committed to using 100% renewable energy for their Apple-based production to 95, up from 72 in September.

“We see every part of our device life cycle - from design, to manufacturing, to durability and repair, to recycling - as an opportunity for environmental innovation, moving us toward our goal of a closed loop supply chain."

The Apple boss then called on others to reduce their emissions and create a “carbon neutral economy”.

“The choice between the bottom line and the future of our planet is a false one, and each new green innovation offers the proof.” 

That’s it for The Independent’s live coverage of the Climate Action Summit. Thanks for following along with us.