Rich nations must deliver on climate promises, says US envoy Kerry
Join now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
OSLO, May 7 (Reuters) – The world’s richest nations must implement their pledges to keep alive a global goal to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, the U.S. climate envoy told Reuters on Saturday. John Kerry.
Kerry said progress was vital as Egypt prepares to host the next round of UN climate talks, known as COP27, in November in Sharm el-Sheikh. Read more
For the meeting to be a success, the 20 richest nations representing 65% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) must remain committed to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as they did at the summit in the UN last year in Glasgow, he said.
Join now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
“It’s essential,” Kerry said in an interview. “These 20 countries account for 80% of all (greenhouse gas) emissions. If these countries move, we solve the problem.”
Some progress has been made, but not enough, and changes also need to happen faster, he said.
“A lot is going on, a lot of people are looking for new technologies or a lot of people are investing,” he said, speaking a day after meeting Norwegian officials.
“But we need to work faster at the government level to organize ourselves so that there are more bankable deals, so that there is a place for the money to invest, and that requires some coordination between government and the private sector.”
The handling of global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine has diverted attention from efforts to combat climate change, Kerry said.
At the same time, “it underscores the imperative to be energy independent and not be held hostage to gas, a fossil fuel owned by someone who is willing to weaponize that fuel,” he said. he said in reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“No country should be dependent in this way. No one has to be (with renewables),” he said.
Join now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
Reporting by Gwladys Fouché Editing by Helen Popper
Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.