U.S. President Joe Biden will host a virtual ‘ Leaders Summit on Climate’ on April 22 and 23, with 40 world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Other guests will include President Xi Jinping of China and President Vladimir Putin of Russia, both of whom have a challenging relationship with Mr Biden. With America’s re-entry into the Paris Accord on climate, the summit seeks to put Mr Biden’s stamp on the fight against climate change.
"I haven't yet, but they know they're invited," Mr Biden told reporters when asked if he had invited Mr Xi and Mr Putin.
The summit will highlight the urgent need to address climate change and the economic benefit of doing so, the White House said in a statement. It is also a prelude to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) which will be held in Glasgow in November, the White House said. The White House also sought to link climate action to better paying jobs and advancing the technological frontier — one of the themes of the Biden campaign.
“In his invitation, the President urged leaders to use the Summit as an opportunity to outline how their countries also will contribute to stronger climate ambition,” the White House said, adding that the U.S. will announce a new “ambitious” 2030 emissions target as its Nationally Determined Contribution – all signatories of the Paris agreement are required to update their targets before the Glasgow conference.
Two other South Asian countries - Bhutan and Bangladesh – have been invited to the summit. Bangladesh is a low-lying country and at high risk due to climate change. Some island nations — like Jamaica and the Marshall Islands — are also on Mr Biden’s guest list.