Britain hopes Biden will commit to net-zero target by 2050

[January 20, 2021]    LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he hoped Joe Biden, who will be inaugurated as U.S. President on Wednesday, would join Britain in its commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.

President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Jill board a plane as they depart for travel to Maryland, at New Castle County Airport in New Castle, Delaware, U.S. January 19, 2021. REUTERS/Tom Brenner

"When it comes to global leadership on the world stage, this country is embarking on a quite phenomenal year," Johnson told parliament referring to Britain hosting the G7 and COP26 meetings.

He was responding to criticism by former prime minister, Theresa May, who said some of Johnson's government's actions had lowered Britain's credibility in the eyes of the world.

"We hope that President Biden will join us (in setting a target to reach net zero by 2050) and of course we will work with President Biden to secure the Transatlantic alliance and NATO," Johnson said.

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, writing by Elizabeth Piper, editing by Estelle Shirbon)

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