Macron calls on world’s biggest emitters to commit to limiting global warming

French President Emmanuel Macron called on the world’s largest emitter countries Monday to review their climate action strategies in order to restore credibility to achieving the target of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Speaking at the 26th edition of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP26, in Glasgow, Scotland, Macron said the key challenge over the roughly two-week duration of the conference is that the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the world, whose national strategies are not in line with the target of 1.5°C, need to commit to strong proposals.

"They need to strengthen their ambitions. This is the only way to restore credibility and to achieve the strategies by 2030 that will make the 1.5 degree Celsius credible," he said.

The landmark Paris Agreement, which was negotiated in 2015 by 196 countries, had committed to limit the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius, preferably to 1.5 degrees by the end of the century. By 2020, the signatory countries were to submit their climate action plans to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to reach the goal.

The United States, European Union, Russia and China are among the top greenhouse gas emitters. The US, which had briefly withdrawn under the Trump administration, officially rejoined the agreement this year after President Joe Biden came to power. Russia and China are notably absent from the conference this year, with Beijing participating virtually.

Macron recalled that climate change was unfair, as the poorest countries and small islands are its first victims. The countries of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, whose economic models did not lead to exacerbating the climate crisis, are bearing the brunt of its consequences, he highlighted.

The French president also urged rich nations to contribute their “fair share” to the US$100 billion fund per year committed by the conference from 2020 to 2025 to finance the action plans of developing countries to combat climate change.