Biden aims to cement US credibility on climate and galvanize world leaders at virtual summit

President Joe Biden's ability to galvanize global momentum faces its first major test this week when he convenes 40 of his foreign counterparts for talks on combating the climate crisis.

The results will be immediately apparent. The White House has made clear it hopes other countries will follow the United States in making new pledges to significantly slash their emissions, particularly major economies that produce the bulk of the world's greenhouse gasses. Biden's ability to wrest those announcements from his counterparts will be put to the test, making this week's summit a high-stakes gauge of his diplomatic skills.

The urgency of the matter was underscored this week in a new report from the International Energy Agency, which estimated carbon emissions from energy use are on track to spike by 1.5 billion tons in 2021 as heavy coal consumption in Asia -- China, in particular -- outweighs rapid growth in renewable sources. That would be the second largest annual increase in energy-related emissions in history.

White House officials insist progress on cutting emissions did not completely stop under Trump; instead it shifted to state and local governments, along with actions taken in the private sector. Indeed, after Trump declared he was looking out for Pittsburgh and not Paris, the mayor of Pittsburgh declared he would continue pressing ahead on reducing carbon emissions anyway.

Trump's decision to leave the Paris deal marked the second time the US has bailed on an international climate agreement after it led the negotiations. The first exit was from the Kyoto Protocol, a previous climate pact that the US signed during the Clinton administration, only to drop out during George W. Bush's presidency.

Biden plans to deliver inaugural remarks to launch the summit on Thursday morning before sending leaders into break-out sessions centered on themes like climate financing and strengthening resilience in countries vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

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