President Joe Biden is bringing together dozens of foreign leaders along with corporate executives, union heads and Pope Francis in a two-day virtual summit meant to invigorate the global fight against climate change and restore U.S. credibility on the issue. The heads of state of all 40 nations invited have agreed to attend the event, which begins on Earth Day, Thursday, as Biden seeks to prove the U.S. is committed to making deep greenhouse gas emissions cuts needed to avert the most catastrophic consequences of climate change.
The gathering is aimed at driving more aggressive climate action that can keep average temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), a key tipping point.
The leaders of some of the world’s top-emitting countries will appear alongside officials from smaller, island nations that are already dealing with the consequences of a warming planet. Chinese President Xi Jinping is slated to appear during the conference and Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to make live remarks.