Merkel welcomes new US goal to cut emissions

STORY: Germany Merkel Climate Summit 2 - Merkel welcomes new US goal to cut emissions

LENGTH: 00:52

FIRST RUN: 1552

RESTRICTIONS:

TYPE: German/Natsound

SOURCE: ARD POOL/GERMAN GOVERNMENT

STORY NUMBER: 4322226

DATELINE: 22 April 2021 - Berlin

SHOTLIST:

RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ARD POOL

Berlin – 22 April 2021

1. German Chancellor Angela Merkel preparing for start of virtual summit

GERMAN GOVERNMENT

Berlin – 22 April 2021

2. SOUNDBITE (German) Angela Merkel, German Chancellor:

"I'm very glad that the United States of America is back to work on climate policy, because it's absolutely indisputable that the world needs their contribution if we're going to fulfill the Paris Agreement."

++ BLACK FRAMES ++

3. SOUNDBITE (German) Angela Merkel, German Chancellor:

"The U.S. national goal also expresses commitment, that's a very important signal to the whole global community."

++ BLACK FRAMES ++

4. SOUNDBITE (German) Angela Merkel, German Chancellor:

"We are facing a global Herculean task. After all, it is about nothing more and nothing less than the transformation of our entire way of life and our economy. And this is a challenge for all major emitters, especially, of course, the industrialized countries."

ARD POOL

Berlin – 22 April 2021

5. Merkel listening to U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaking on screen at virtual summit

STORYLINE:

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday welcomed U.S. President Joe Biden's pledge to cut by at least one-half the climate-wrecking coal and petroleum fumes that America is pumping out.

"The U.S. national goal also expresses commitment, that's a very important signal to the whole global community," Merkel said  at the virtual climate summit, to which U.S. President Joe Biden convened leaders of the world's most powerful countries to try to spur global efforts against climate change, drawing commitments from Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin to cooperate on cutting emissions despite their own sharp rivalries with the United States.

Merkel said the world depends on the United States' contribution to achieve global greenhouse gas reduction targets.

"We are facing a global Herculean task. After all, it is about nothing more and nothing less than the transformation of our entire way of life and our economy", Merkel said. " And this is a challenge for all major emitters, especially, of course, the industrialized countries."

Biden's own new commitment, timed to the summit, is to cut U.S. fossil fuel emissions up to 52% by 2030. marking a return by the U.S. to global climate efforts after four years of withdrawal under President Donald Trump. Biden's administration is sketching out a vision of a prosperous, clean-energy United States where factories churn out cutting-edge batteries for export, line workers re-lay an efficient national electrical grid and crews cap abandoned oil and gas rigs and coal mines.

The summit saw leaders of China and Russia put aside disputes with the U.S. to pledge action.

===========================================================

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.