Von der Leyen responds to Trump on climate: 'We will stay the course' Xi announces new commitments from China

"I assure you: Europe will stay the course on climate ambition. Our emissions have fallen by almost 40 per cent since 1990. They now account for only 6 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. We are on track to meet our 2030 target and reduce them by 55 per cent." Ursula von der Leyen tries to defend what remains of Europe's commitment against global warming, with a credibility and strength diminished by the backtracking on the Green Deal imposed by changing priorities in international politics and power relations in Brussels and the EU member states.

At yesterday's UN climate summit, the Commission President only came up with a declaration of intent on the NDCs, the nationally determined contributions to be made by 2035. The formal commitment is not there yet, because the Twenty-Seven have not reached the necessary agreement. On the contrary, they have postponed the decision on the 90% cut in greenhouse gases by 2040, compared to 1990 levels, proposed by the Commission, in view of the goal of climate neutrality in 2050. Von der Leyen assured that the Union's NDCs (range of emission reductions between 66.25% and 72.5%) will be presented before the Belém Cop30 in November.

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump, had revived his already clear climate denialism, which now determines the policies adopted by the US, the world's leading economic power and second largest producer of carbon dioxide after China. Yesterday, the Department of Energy announced that it will cancel more than $13 billion in funds earmarked for green sources by the Biden Administration.

In his speech to the UN General Assembly, Trump repeated his convictions: climate change is 'the biggest scam ever perpetrated in the world', the scientific consensus on global warming has been created by 'stupid people', and he criticised the countries that have pushed for renewables, in particular Europe, which he said would risk 'ruin'. Nothing new. As he had already done in his first term, as soon as he returned to the White House, Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 Paris Agreement, which sets the course to curb the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees and within 2 degrees by the end of the century compared to pre-industrial levels. Goals that would make the impact of climate change sustainable, but which seem increasingly out of reach.

Von der Leyen, yesterday, assured that 'the world can count on the European Union's continued leadership on climate'. Immediately before her, the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, stated that the energy transition is 'a global trend, despite some countries moving against the current'. Beijing, in its ND, pledged 'to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7-10% by 2035, compared to the peak', which should have just been reached. A little little for a country that generates 30% of greenhouse gases and alone has contributed about 90% of their growth over the last decade.