John Kerry, climate envoy, says that after almost a year of climate diplomacy which helped win more cuts from allies but has failed to move some the biggest polluters around the world to act quickly enough.
Kerry spoke with The Associated Press to credit the United States, Japan, the European Union and Japan for their pledges over the past year to cut climate-wrecking fossil fuel emission emissions faster than they did in the last year, ahead of the talks in Glasgow (Scotland), under Kerry's nudging. He expressed the hope that more nations will join him over the next few years. He stated, "By the end of Glasgow, we'll know who's doing their fair share and who's not."
Kerry also discussed the consequences if the U.S. Congress, with a small Democratic majority, fails to pass legislation that would significantly affect climate change. This is despite the Biden administration trying to regain global leadership in climate action. Kerry stated that it would be like President Trump withdrawing from the Paris agreement.
Kerry spoke to the AP Wednesday in a conference hall down the hall from the State Department's office. The corridors leading up to his office are still eerily empty of people affected by the coronavirus pandemic . Kerry's remarks came after nine months spent intensive climate diplomacy via plane, phone, and computer screen in order to nail down the most global climate commitments possible before the U.N. Climate Summit opens Oct. 31 in Scotland.
Kerry makes final stops in Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Brazil as he presses for more pledges. He will then settle in Glasgow for two weeks' talks. We still have many things to do in order to cross the transom. Kerry stated that this will determine where we end up overall.
After President Donald Trump pulled the United States from the Paris climate agreement, Kerry's efforts abroad and President Joe Biden’s multibillion dollar promises of legislation, support for cleaner-burning fuels at home come alongside President Joe Biden’s multibillion-dollar pledges of legislation.
Kerry dismissed a suggestion that he wanted to lower the expectations for the summit. This deadline became a deadline, but not a last one, leaders have started stressing. It is for countries to declare how hard they will work in order to change their economies from polluting to cleaner burning. Kerry and others characterized the Glasgow summit early as the "last, best chance" for momentum to promote emissions cuts, investment into renewable energy, aid to less-wealthy nations to enable them to transition from dirty-burning petroleum and coal in time to limit global warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.55 degrees Celsius).
Scientists warn that the damage is irreversible, and could reach catastrophic levels if emissions are not drastically reduced.