October 26, 2022
US Special Envoy on Climate John Kerry held a special press briefing in the run up to the COP27 meeting next month in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, calling on governments to not ignore the science and act now or face a deepening climate crisis.
COP27 is about implementing past promises, following science to keep global warming to 1.5C as set by the Paris Agreement. If we don’t do this, says Kerry, “greater destruction and unlivable conditions” will follow.
Kerry points to the need for creative solutions, but also implementing what we already know, and harnessing and leveraging finance through multilateral development banks. “Countries that don’t move faster will be left behind” warned the US Climate Envoy. We must increase funding for action, including for the Global Methane Pledge.
“What you are seeing happen around the world makes it more urgent and more clear than ever that we need to step up and get this job done. No country has a right to be delinquent on producing an NDC [self set targets for greenhouse gas reductions]”, said Kerry
As a final shout out to those looking for leadership on climate at COP 27, Kerry set a clear tone, and sent a clear message:
“The scientists tell us that what is happening now, the extreme heat, extreme weather, the fires, the floods, the warming of the oceans and the melting of the ice, is going to get worse unless we address the crisis”.
Link to the press conference:
https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/SPEC-John-Kerry-briefing-Oct-26-22-English.m4a