Dozens of world leaders are joining CEOs, activists and Pope Francis for a two-day virtual summit that started Thursday on reducing climate change hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden. THE U.S. GALLOPS OUT OF THE GATE The United States met global expectations by pledging to halve its emissions by 2030 from 2005 levels – nearly doubling the last pledge made under former President Barack Obama. Washington also intends to double its annual public climate finance to developing countries by 2024, compared with spending under Obama in 2013-2016. “This is the decade we must make decisions that will avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis,” Biden said at the White House. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen pledged a day earlier to aggressively tackle climate change using all the tools at her disposal. read more CHINA TO QUIT COAL President Xi Jinping told the summit his country would begin phasing out […]