SINGAPORE: United States climate envoy John Kerry on Friday (Nov 10) hailed positive outcomes from talks with China to jointly address climate change.
“(It was) a very constructive meeting, we had some successes and found common ground. It’s a great step forward,” Mr Kerry told CNA on the sidelines of the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore.
Mr Kerry added that more details will be revealed in coming weeks.
The former US Secretary of State met with his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua in Sunnylands, California, earlier this week for a four-day talk on the climate crisis.
After the meeting, Beijing unveiled an action plan to tackle climate-warming methane, a move that observers said signalled a breakthrough for a new climate agreement between the two countries.
They added this could help ensure progress at the United Nations’ upcoming annual climate talks.
The 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) will be held in Dubai from Nov 30 to Dec 12.
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION
Mr Kerry urged governments and businesses to accelerate environmental action, as challenges in migration and food supply continue to be worsened by the climate crisis.
“We don’t have any choice. We have to move now. Life on our planet is being hugely disrupted as a result of (global) warming due to the burning of fossil fuels,” he said.
“If we don’t capture the emissions, we can’t win the battle.”
He emphasised that COP28 needs to live up to expectations of the global stocktake – an assessment of progress on climate action.
The climate envoy added that he expects to see serious participation by oil and gas firms at the upcoming conference.
CONTROVERSY OVER COP28 PRESIDENT
His comments come amid raised eyebrows over host nation United Arab Emirates appointing state oil company chief Sultan al-Jaber to lead the climate talks.
But Mr Kerry defended the decision, saying that some leaders of such firms have been the biggest proponents of taking serious action on the climate crisis.
“Jaber is working extremely hard. He is committed to keeping 1.5 degrees alive,” said Mr Kerry, referring to the limit on temperature increases agreed in Paris in 2015.
“The proof in the pudding. He is working to bring a lot of people to the table who had not been there before.”
He added that success will be measured by moving on adaptations and standing up a loss and damage fund, as well as progress on acquiring the trillions of dollars of investments needed for the green transition.
FULL AGENDA AHEAD
However, some countries, including Britain, have recently scaled back on their climate pledges, casting fresh doubt on global unity.
“That’s a problem – we can’t go backwards. We cannot allow the Paris Agreement to be worked backwards,” said Mr Kerry.
“We have a very full agenda ahead, but I am convinced we have the ability to meet those challenges if we just get a little more serious.”
Mr Kerry said the US firmly supports the loss and damage framework which helps poorer countries recover and rebuild from the impact of climate change.
“We believe in the loss and damage fund, and we will make a good faith effort.” he said. “But we need everyone to take part – it can’t be just a few countries, we need everyone to help to the degree that they can.”
BIGGER THAN POLITICIANS
Ahead of the US presidential elections next year, observers have voiced concerns that a change in leadership could take the momentum away from Washington’s climate initiatives.
But Mr Kerry was adamant that the green transition would stay on course, regardless of who comes to power.
“No politician can stop what is happening now. This transition is much bigger than any one party,” he said.
“People are moving because the science is telling us we need to move. It’s not political or ideological, it’s about the air that people breathe. It’s about the impact on farming, on children, on disease.
“A sustainable world is a must. It is the greatest gift we can give our children and the future. Because if we are not sustainable, (the world) won’t last. We have to keep the pressure on.”
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