Kerry gives scathing rating on climate action: Is there a letter underneath Z?
Former secretary of state accuses oil and gas companies of business as usual at major climate summit in New York
Oliver Milman in New York
Mon 23 Sep 2024 18.59 EDT
Countries are ignoring commitments they made less than a year ago to shift away from
fossil fuels and to provide aid to those most vulnerable to the
climate crisis, a host of leading figures have admitted during a gloomy start to a major climate summit in New York.
Al Gore, the former US vice-president, and
John Kerry, the former US secretary of state and climate envoy, have led the condemnation of the largest greenhouse gas emitters, led by China and the US, for failing to follow a UN pact
signed in Dubai by nearly 200 countries in December to transition away from oil, coal and gas.
We made an agreement in Dubai to transition away from fossil fuels, said Kerry, who was the US lead climate negotiator at the time. The problem? We arent doing that. Were not implementing. The implications for everybody, and life on this planet, is gigantic.
Kerry, who in his previous position defended the USs role as it
became the worlds leading oil and gas producer under
Joe Biden, admitted that the US needed to do more and said a pause
placed on booming liquified natural gas export permits by the US president should remain.