By Matthew Green
LONDON, Oct 30 (Reuters) – Pledges by China, Japan and South Korea to slash carbon emissions to net zero are “extremely important” signs of leadership in reviving global efforts to tackle climate change, the United Nations climate chief said on Friday.
Patricia Espinosa, executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), welcomed this week’s announcements by Japan and South Korea that they would target net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and China’s pledge in September to hit the goal by 2060.
“These signals of very strong commitments by countries that are very important, and that have a real impact on the level of emissions globally, are extremely important,” Espinosa told Reuters in a video interview.
“And it’s also very important to recognize that they are coming at a time when we need this kind of leadership,” Espinosa said. (Reporting by Matthew Green; Editing by Hugh Lawson)