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John kerry, who helped to get hold of it Paris climate agreement in 2015 as secretary of state, who came out of retirement to become President Biden’s climate envoy, arrives Monday with a carefully crafted message for him. United Nations Summit: It is critically important, but it is not the last opportunity for action.
“Glasgow was never going to be, you know, the ultimate meeting,” he said in a recent interview.
That contrasts with Kerry’s comments last month, when he described the summit as “The last best hope”To reduce greenhouse gas emissions enough to avoid the worst consequences of climate change.
The goal of the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN climate convention, or COP26, is to galvanize world leaders to cut global warming emissions enough to prevent temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees compared to pre-industrial levels. At that point, effects such as rising sea levels, devastated crop yields, and the death of coral reefs become irreversible. Glasgow will be the first time since nations agreed in 2015 to curb emissions that leaders have been asked to increase their targets.
Expectations for him Glasgow Summit They are tall. A banner that reads: “The world is watching you, COP26” greets arrivals at the airport.
“Where Paris promised, Glasgow must deliver” Alok sharmasaid the British politician who is president of the conference on Sunday at the formal opening of the meeting.
But the reality is that leaders are aware that this will not be the case. China, India, Russia, Australia, and Saudi Arabia have all issued weak or no new plans to cut carbon emissions from fossil fuels in this decade. And the United States, which has an ambitious goal After cutting emissions by roughly half by 2030, it is failing to pass legislation that can ensure that goal is met.
Mr. Kerry noted that when Mr. Biden took office, few countries had committed to targets that keep 1.5 degrees within reach. “We have lobbied, cajoled and negotiated with countless countries,” he said, and now the nations that account for about 65 percent of the world’s economic output have ambitious targets for the next decade.
“Glasgow would never get all the countries to come together,” Kerry said, adding: “It was going to drive increased ambition globally, and the fact is that ambition will increase more significantly in Glasgow than at any time. “
Kerry said he was already thinking about next year to build on the promises countries have made and pressure them to do more.
“It is critical that countries come up with better plans,” Kerry said Sunday in a call with reporters. “We are fighting to maintain the goal of 1.5 degrees.”