On 22 April 2016, John Kerry, now the United States' Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, signed the Paris Agreement on climate on behalf of Washington. Exactly five years later, the North American nation has decided to try to give fresh impetus to the action of the international community, with a view to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A virtual summit is therefore being held today, 22 April, and tomorrow, bringing together around 40 nations.

40 nations take part in the climate summit convened by Joe Biden

Also present are the countries that emit the largest quantities of climate-altering gases: China, the European Union nations, India, Russia, Brazil, Canada and Australia. But also those nations that are responsible for only a minimal share of climate change, even though they bear the brunt of its consequences. Such is the case of the Marshall Islands, Chile and Gabon.

Piano di rilancio — United States President Joe Biden © Al Drago-Pool/Getty Images

United States President Joe Biden will focus on the "economic opportunities" linked to climate action. The transformation of our production systems can indeed create jobs, wealth and wellbeing. It is for this reason that the new Washington administration appears to want to place the ecological transition at the heart of its agenda.

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US President Joe Biden will aim to kick-start a crucial year of action on climate change today as he hosts 40 world leaders at an Earth Day summit trib.al/D2xfoK3

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The summit also represents, in effect, a stepping stone towards another fundamental event: the one to be held in November in Glasgow, Scotland, where the twenty-sixth United Nations Climate Change Conference (Cop 26) is scheduled to take place. Gina McCarthy, Biden's climate adviser, explained that after four years of Donald Trump's denial, the United States wants to signal through the multilateral summit "modestly but also forcefully the return, because we need all nations to come back and engage".

The United States could announce a 50% cut in emissions by 2030

"The goal," she added, "is not to limit global warming to 2 degrees but to 1.5. For this we need to invest now, otherwise we will lose the opportunity to do so." The current trend, in fact, would still see temperatures rise by between 3 and 4 degrees by the end of the century, compared to pre-industrial levels.

Pannelli solari clima — The use of renewable energy for production is a fundamental aspect of the ecological transition © Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Biden has committed to achieving carbon neutrality — the net zeroing of CO2 emissions — by 2050. During the summit he could announce a cut of 50 per cent in emissions by 2030, compared to 2005 levels. This would mean doubling the commitments that had been set out by Barack Obama in 2015 (-26/28 per cent by 2025, compared to 2005). At the same time, European governments and institutions have reached an agreement to reduce emissions by "at least 55 per cent" by 2030, but compared to 1990 levels. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom, which will host Cop 26 (an event co-organised with Italy), has pledged to achieve -78 per cent by 2035, again compared to 1990.

What to expect from the climate summit convened by Joe Biden