Uhuru among 40 world leaders on Bidens guest list for climate summit

President Uhuru Kenyatta is among 40 world leaders who have been invited for the climate summit which US President Joe Biden will host on April 22 and 23.

The virtual summit will be live streamed for public viewing.

“It will be a key milestone on the road to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) this November in Glasgow,” the White House said in a statement.

President Biden has also invited the heads of other countries which are demonstrating strong climate leadership, are especially vulnerable to climate impacts, or are charting innovative pathways to a net-zero economy.

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A small number of business and civil society leaders will also participate in the summit. The summit is expected to underscore the urgency – and the economic benefits – of stronger climate action.

In his invitation, the American President urged leaders to use the summit as an opportunity to outline how their countries also will contribute to stronger climate ambition.

The climate summit will reconvene the U.S.-led Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, which brings together 17 countries responsible for approximately 80 percent of global emissions and global GDP.

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It will also highlight examples of how enhanced climate ambition will create good paying jobs, advance innovative technologies, and help vulnerable countries adapt to climate impacts.

By the time of the summit, the United States is expected to announce an ambitious 2030 emissions target as its new Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement.

In recent years, scientists have underscored the need to limit planetary warming to 1.5 degrees celsius in order to stave off the worst impacts of climate change.

A key goal of both the Leaders Summit and COP26 will be to catalyze efforts that keep that 1.5-degree goal within reach. Key themes of the summit will include:

• Galvanizing efforts by the world’s major economies to reduce emissions during this critical decade to keep a limit to warming of 1.5 degree Celsius within reach.
• Mobilizing public and private sector finance to drive the net-zero transition and to help vulnerable countries cope with climate impacts.
• The economic benefits of climate action, with a strong emphasis on job creation, and the importance of ensuring all communities and workers benefit from the transition to a new clean energy economy.
• Spurring transformational technologies that can help reduce emissions and adapt to climate change, while also creating enormous new economic opportunities and building the industries of the future.
• Showcasing subnational and non-state actors that are committed to green recovery and an equitable vision for limiting warming to 1.5 degree Celsius, and are working closely with national governments to advance ambition and resilience.
• Discussing opportunities to strengthen capacity to protect lives and livelihoods from the impacts of climate change, address the global security challenges posed by climate change and the impact on readiness, and address the role of nature-based solutions in achieving net zero by 2050 goals.

The White House said further details on the summit agenda, additional participants, media access, and public viewing will be provided in the coming weeks.