Global warming: US formally pledges to cut greenhouse-gas emissions by 28 per cent

Plan is part of global effort to combat climate change

(Getty Images)

The US government has formally submitted a plan to cut greenhouse-gas emissions by 28 per cent by 2025 as part of a global effort to combat global warming.

President Barack Obama on Tuesday submitted the US plan, which will be joined by proposals from some 200 other nations that are set to convene in Paris in December to work out how to slow rising temperatures.

The president’s emission-reduction plan comes two weeks after he issued an executive order to cut government emissions of greenhouse gases by 40 per cent by 2025.

With Tuesday’s submission, the US joins a handful of other nations that already have submitted their plans. The European Union, Mexico, Norway, Switzerland and Russia all have released formal plans to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Tuesday was an informal deadline for major world economies nations to submit emissions plans ahead of the December meeting of the United Nations Climate Change Conference. The goal of the UN conference is to get a binding agreement from all nations of the world to limit global temperature increase to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

The planned cuts in US greenhouse gas emissions – widely blamed by scientists for increased global temperatures – reportedly will be achieved by reducing power-plant emissions, boosting vehicle fuel efficiency and improving buildings standards.

US officials said they hope a formal plan for reducing greenhouse gases will prompt other countries to set similar targets. Several developed countries – including Australia and Canada – have yet to submit plans.

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