11/5/21, 7:49 PM COP26: Biden attacks China and Russia leaders for missing summit - BBC News

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COP26: Biden attacks China and Russia

leaders for missing summit
2 days ago

COP26

China and Russia made 'big mistake', says Biden

US President Joe Biden has criticised the leaders of China and Russia for not
turning up to the COP26 climate summit.

In a speech on Tuesday night, Mr Biden said climate was "a gigantic issue" and
China "walked away" - adding it was the "same thing with Russia and Putin".

Neither Russian President Vladimir Putin nor Chinese leader Xi Jinping are at
the summit in Glasgow.
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11/5/21, 7:49 PM COP26: Biden attacks China and Russia leaders for missing summit - BBC News

Both countries however have sent delegations to the talks, which are due to
run for two weeks until 14 November.

China is the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide, followed by the US.
Russia is the fifth largest after the EU and India.

More than 120 leaders turned up at the conference in Scotland's largest city.

Countries have already announced major deals, including a global pledge to

slash methane levels by 2030 as well as to end and reverse deforestation by
the same year.

Both China and Russia are signatories of the pledge to reverse deforestation.
Before Mr Biden's speech, Mr Putin virtually addressed a meeting on forest
management at the COP26 summit on Tuesday, saying that Russia takes the
"strongest and most vigorous measures to conserve" woodlands, according to
a Kremlin press release.

ANALYSIS: Why China's climate policy matters to us all

WATCH: Siberia landscape scarred by climate change

The US president made his comments when asked about the role that other
countries - including China, Russia and Saudi Arabia - had played in talks so
far.

"The fact that China is trying to assert, understandably, a new role in the world
as a world leader - not showing up, come on," Mr Biden said, adding that Xi
Jinping's absence was a "big mistake".

He said the same about Mr Putin, saying that Russia's wilderness was burning
and their president "stays mum" about the issue.

Mr Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov gave no reason why the Russian leader
would not attend when they announced the decision in October, although he
said climate change was an "important" priority for Russia.

The same month officials warned UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson that
China's President Xi Jinping was not expected to attend. It is thought that
President Xi has not left China since early 2020.

In September Mr Xi announced China will aim for carbon neutrality by 2060,

with a plan to hit peak emissions before 2030.

President Putin said Russia would also strive to reach carbon neutrality "no
later than 2060" in an international energy forum speech on 13 October.

Net zero, or becoming carbon neutral, means not adding to the amount of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

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COP26 climate summit - The basics

Climate change is one of the world's most pressing problems.
Governments must promise more ambitious cuts in warming gases if we
are to prevent greater global temperature rises.

The summit in Glasgow is where change could happen. You need to watch
for the promises made by the world's biggest polluters, like the US and
China, and whether poorer countries are getting the support they need.

All our lives will change. Decisions made here could impact our jobs, how
we heat our homes, what we eat and how we travel.

Read more about the COP26 summit here

Simple guide to climate change

What will climate change look like for you?

Will the UK meet its climate targets?

How extreme weather is linked to climate change

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Related Topics

Xi Jinping China Russia COP26 Climate change

Vladimir Putin United States Oil & Gas industry Joe Biden

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11/5/21, 7:49 PM COP26: Biden attacks China and Russia leaders for missing summit - BBC News

More on this story

A really simple guide to climate change

13 October

China's Xi unlikely to attend COP26, UK PM told

15 October

Putin will not attend COP26 climate summit

20 October

Can COP26 really save the planet?

5 days ago

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