John Kerry called on all large economies to commit to more ambitious emissions reductions because there is “time running out” on Tuesday to tackle climate change.
Kerry, former secretary of state, current president Joe BidenIn a speech at the Royal Botanic Gardens in London, the special envoy for climate issues said that a greater global response is needed to adequately deal with the crisis.
“My friends, the climate crisis is a test of our time. Although some people may still think it is slowly unfolding, no. This test is now as serious and existing as any one before,” Kerry said.
“Time is running out. Not a euphemism, nor an exaggeration. Time is running out,” he added.
impending United NationsKerry believes that the climate conference COP26 must be “a critical moment for the world to unite in response to climate challenges.” COP26 is scheduled to be held in Glasgow in November.
When Kerry made his speech, Germany and Belgium were hit by devastating floods, the United States was raging, and wildfires swept across Siberia and parts of Russia.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel The scene of the floods in Western Europe was described as “terrible”, with the death toll approaching 200. Some parts of bridges, houses and villages were washed away by floods caused by record rainfall.
Kerry said on Tuesday that world leaders must “consider climate change as a crisis and take response measures comparable to wartime mobilization. This is a huge opportunity to rebuild the economy after a historic pandemic.”
Kerry pointed out that even if countries fulfill the promise of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, the earth’s temperature will still rise. Although he added that it is still possible to control global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius, the goal of the agreement.
“But the premise is that every major economy commits to achieving meaningful absolute emissions reductions by 2030,” Kerry said. “This is the only way to put the world on a reliable track of global net zero by the middle of this century.”
Earlier this year, Biden pledged to reduce US greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2030. His goal is to more than double the country’s previous commitments under the Paris agreement.
Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images
In his speech on Tuesday, Kerry emphasized the failure of adults to properly address the climate crisis. He added that the global political system has not adequately responded to this challenge in the past 30 years.
“The irony is that young people all over the world are calling on adults to act like adults and fulfill their basic responsibilities,” he said. “Young people who feel compelled to put down their textbooks and walk out of the classroom to strike for the climate.”
“They know that the world is not responding fast enough to the existential threats they haven’t created, but they risk taking the ultimate burden during their lifetime-an uninhabitable community on an increasingly uninhabitable planet.”
