在虚拟领导人气候峰会的第二天也是最后一天，总统乔·拜登投气候变化这不是一种威胁，而是一种投资未来的经济机会，宣扬由此将在世界各地创造“数百万份高薪工作”。
“今天的最后一场会议不是关于气候变化的威胁。这是关于应对气候变化提供的机会。这是一个在世界各地和创新领域创造数百万高薪工作的机会。你知道，能带来更高生活质量的工作。在每个国家从事这些工作的人都有更大的尊严。
总统还承诺投资，以确保随着国家推进新技术，能源工人不会落后。
拜登说:“当我们向清洁能源的未来过渡时，我们必须确保在过去和今天的行业中蓬勃发展的工人在新行业、他们生活的地方以及他们建立的社区中有一个光明的明天。”
在为期两天的峰会上，总统和政府官员强调了美国在世界舞台上对气候变化的承诺，此前时任总统唐纳德·特朗普退出了《巴黎气候协议》。
安娜摇钱树/合众国际社通过Shutterstock
2021年4月23日，美国总统乔·拜登在华盛顿特区白宫东厅举行的虚拟领导人气候峰会上发表讲话。
拜登在讲话中宣布，美国将重新参与“使命创新”，这是奥巴马政府时期启动的一项全球计划，旨在加快全球清洁能源创新，以应对气候变化。
拜登宣布:“今天，美国再次进入领导地位。”他指出，美国将与瑞典和印度合作，实现工业部门的脱碳，与英国合作，实现无碳电力部门。他还表示，美国将与阿联酋和其他国家在农业方面进行合作。
拜登补充说，俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京呼吁合作推进二氧化碳减排工作，他对此“感到鼓舞”。
“美国期待着与俄罗斯和其他国家在这一努力和巨大的希望中合作。拜登说:“这是我们所有人为我们的子孙后代建设更好经济的时刻，也是我们所有人茁壮成长的时刻。
拜登在周四的峰会讲话中宣布了他最新的温室气体减排目标，呼吁美国到2030年将温室气体排放量从2005年的创纪录水平削减50%至52%。
吉姆·沃森/法新社通过盖蒂图像
乔·拜登总统参加了2021年4月23日在华盛顿特区白宫举行的虚拟领导人气候峰会第五次会议:气候行动的经济机遇。
“这是一个道德上的要求，一个经济上的要求，也是一个具有非凡可能性的时刻。时间很短，但我相信我们能做到。我相信我们会做到这一点，”拜登周四说。
在会议的第二天开幕时，拜登似乎承认，峰会上提出的承诺不包括要求各国对实现目标负责的措施，他说，“真正的”承诺将在今年秋天晚些时候在格拉斯哥举行的联合国气候变化会议上进行谈判。
“这次峰会是一个开始，是一条将我们带到格拉斯哥的道路的开始，是11月份联合国气候变化会议的开始，我们将在会上兑现这些承诺。让我们所有国家走上一条通往安全、繁荣和可持续未来的道路。”
在国内，总统的承诺遭到了共和党人的批评，他们认为，如果没有其他国家的更多承诺，美国工人只会受到无效政策的伤害。
参议院少数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔(Mitch McConnell)周四表示:“民主党人对在我们国家推行昂贵的环境议程的热情，似乎不是我们最大的外国竞争对手所共有的。”
Biden says US will work with global partners on climate innovations
In the second and final day of the virtual Leaders Summit on Climate, PresidentJoe Bidenpitchedclimate changenot as a threat, but as an economic opportunity to invest in the future, touting the "millions of good paying jobs" that would be created around the world as a result.
"Today's final session is not about the threat of climate change. It's about the opportunity that addressing climate change provides. It's an opportunity to create millions of good-paying jobs around the world and innovative sectors. You know, jobs that bring greater quality of life. Greater dignity to people performing those jobs in every nation," Biden said Friday morning.
The president also pledged investments to ensure energy workers are not left behind as the country moves ahead with new technologies.
"As we transition to a clean energy future, we must ensure that workers who have thrived in yesterday's and today's industries have as bright a tomorrow in the new industry, as well as in the places where they live, and the communities they have built," Biden said.
Throughout the two-day summit, the president and administration officials have underscored the United State’s commitment to climate change on the world stage, after then-President Donald Trump withdrew from the Paris Climate Accord.
In his remarks, Biden announced the U.S. would be reengaging in "Mission Innovation," a global program launched during the Obama administration to speed up global clean energy innovation in order to address climate change.
"Today, America is once again stepping into the leadership," Biden announced, specifying the U.S. would work with Sweden and India on decarbonizing the industrial sector and the United Kingdom on reaching a carbon-free power sector. He also said the U.S. would work with the United Arab Emirates and others on agriculture.
Biden added he was "heartened" by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s call for collaboration to advance carbon dioxide removal efforts.
"The United States looks forward to working with Russia and other countries in that endeavor and great promise. This is a moment for all of us to build better economies for our children, our grandchildren, and all of us to thrive," Biden said.
During his summit remarks Thursday, Biden announced his updated goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions -- calling on the U.S. to slash them by 50-52% from record-high 2005 levels by 2030.
"This is a moral imperative, an economic imperative, and also a moment of extraordinary possibilities. Time is short, but I believe we can do this. And I believe that we will do this," Biden said Thursday.
While opening up the second day of the conference, Biden seemed to acknowledge that commitments put forth in the summit did not include measures to hold countries accountable for meeting their goals, saying "real" commitments would be negotiated later this fall at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.
"This summit is a start, a start of a road that will take us to Glasgow, for the U.N. Climate Change Conference in November where we're going to make these commitments real. Putting all of our nations on a path to a secure, prosperous and sustainable future."
At home, the president’s commitments have been met with criticism from Republicans who argue that without more commitments from other countries, U.S. workers will only be hurt by an ineffective policy.
"Democrats' zeal for imposing costly environmental agendas on our country is not something our biggest foreign competitors seem to share," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday.
