Italy and the United States have vowed help the world attain net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and meet UN goals to limit global warming to 1.5C "by strengthening climate ambitions".
Foreign minister Luigi Di Maio, ecological transition minister Roberto Cingolani and US special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry made the pledge in a statement issued after talks in Rome on Thursday.
"We resolved to work closely together over the next months toward a successful meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Glasgow in November 2021," read the statement, referencing the UN climate summit.
"As part of that, we intend to rally parties to the Paris Agreement, particularly those in the G20 - which will meet this year under the chairmanship of Italy - to strengthen their climate ambition," the statement went on.
The landmark 2015 Paris accord agreed to keep global temperatures "well below" 2.0C above pre-industrial times and "endeavour to limit" them even more, to 1.5C. The legally binding international treaty adopted by almost 200 countries also committed to climate neutrality by 2050.
Di Maio, Cingolani and Kerry "recognized the urgent need for global climate action to combat the climate crisis" and "committed to work ourselves, and urge other countries to do likewise, to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions no later than 2050 and to take actions in the 2020s aligned with keeping a 1.5 degree C temperature limit within reach", according to the statement.
"These actions should mitigate emissions using current technologies, as well as lead to the development of new technologies required to prevent future emissions. Our efforts will span sectors from power to transportation to industry and agriculture," said the statement.
Italy and the US also resolved to work with other countries and with the private sector to help "the world’s most vulnerable" adapt and respond to the impact of climate change, the statement added.
"We also resolved to work together to help scale up finance and private investment for both mitigation and adaptation," the statement ended.
