FRANCE: Mexico became the first developing nation to formally promise to cut its global-warming pollution, a potential milestone in efforts to reach a worldwide agreement on tackling climate change.
Mexico’s greenhouse-gas emissions will peak in 2026 and fall thereafter, Environment Minister Juan Jose Guerra Abud said at a news conference in Mexico City Friday. The nation has pledged to curb the growth of emissions 25 per cent from its current trajectory by 2030.
Negotiators from more than 190 states are trying to craft a deal this year that would, for the first time, wrest promises to fight climate change from both rich nations and the emerging markets where emissions are growing the fastest. Mexico is the first developing nation to submit its plan before a March 31 United Nations deadline that most countries are going to miss.
Mexico’s announcement is an “ambitious and important commitment in the fight against global warming,” said Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, a New York- based advocacy group. “Its pledge to make meaningful cuts in dangerous carbon pollution sends a signal that will help secure a global climate-protection agreement in Paris this year.”
Mexico’s pledge has two components. It will reduce greenhouse-gas emissions 22 per cent and will halve the production of so-called black carbon — particles created by burning wood, diesel and other fuels. The net effect will reduce by 25 per cent the generation of air pollution that’s causing global warming.
Mexico joins the 28-nation European Union, Norway and Switzerland as the only countries thus far to submit formal climate pledges to the UN. The U.S. has said it plans to cut emissions by 26 per cent to 28 per cent by 2025 and will file its formal submission to the UN by the end of the month.
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