Daily US Times: The COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow is the “last best hope for the world to get its act together”, America’s climate envoy John Kerry says.
In an interview with BBC, Mr Kerry said that key countries were pursuing policies that border on being “very dangerous”.
He said that if greenhouse gas emissions weren’t reduced enough over the next 9 years there was no chance of meeting long-term targets.
The goal is to hold the rise in the earth’s temperature to 1.5C.
Scientists and experts have said that to reach that goal, it would require global carbon emissions to fall by 45% from 2010 levels by the end of this decade.
But apart from a brief period during coronavirus lockdowns, emissions are still rising.
China, the world’s biggest carbon emitter country, will be key to any hopes of a strong outcome at COP26, when it is held in Glasgow from 31 October to 12 November.
Leaders and delegates from across the world will attend the climate summit, including Mr Kerry and US President Joe Biden.
Mr Kerry has previously said the United States will push for rapid action after four years of “reckless behaviour” under previous President Donald Trump.
He said Washington would now move forward with “humility and ambition” in the global negotiations.
A former presidential candidate and former US Secretary of State, Mr Kerry has long been a powerful voice in climate politics. As President Barack Obama’s Secretary of State he played a key role in securing the Paris agreement in 2015.
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