Climate Summit Yields Surprise Agreement on Carbon Emission Targets

An emergency climate summit convened by the United Nations produced a surprise breakthrough in which 142 countries committed to new, more ambitious carbon emission reduction targets.

The Geneva Accord commits signatories to achieving net zero emissions by 2045, with mandatory five-year reviews and financial penalties for countries that miss interim targets.

The United States, European Union and China all signed the accord for the first time simultaneously committing to aligned climate timelines.

Climate scientists said the accord, if fully implemented, would represent the most significant collective climate action since the Paris Agreement.