Top polluting nations must work together to come up with solution, warns John Kerry at HTLS
John Kerry emphasised that just 23 countries — primarily developed and near-developed nations — are responsible for the bulk of global emissions
NEW DELHI: The world is already exceeding the crucial 1.5°C warming threshold, former US special envoy for climate John Kerry warned, urging countries engaged in the ongoing global climate conference, COP29, to work hard to find a solution, especially the 23 nations and regions most responsible for emissions.
In a wide-ranging discussion with former Indian Ambassador to the United States Navtej Sarna at the 22nd Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Kerry highlighted alarming climate indicators including accelerated polar ice melt, rise in sea levels, increasingly intense storms, and changes in ocean chemistry due to higher acidity levels.
“Nothing that President [Joe] Biden tried to do or I tried to do in these last four years came from anything political. No idea, no politics, no liberal, conservative, one party... it was driven by mathematics and physics,” said Kerry, who has served as the US Secretary of State from 2013 to 2017 and until early 2024, was the presidential special envoy on climate change.
He said that when he started his role as climate envoy in 2020, the world was heading toward a catastrophic 3.7-4 degrees of warming. While recent agreements at Glasgow, Sharm El-Sheikh, and Dubai have created potential to limit warming to 1.7 degrees if fully implemented, he warned that implementation is falling far short.
He highlighted worrying new scientific findings, including a significant drop in forests’ ability to absorb carbon dioxide, accelerated melting of Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets, and increasing ocean acidification.
“When we got to Dubai last year [for COP28], where the UAE consensus had 200 nations saying ‘we must transition away from fossil fuel and we must accelerate in this decade. We must do it in a fair equitable and orderly way so as to achieve net zero by 2050’. But, guess what folks -- emissions went up last year 1% all around the world. And we have gas and oil that’s going to go to record levels [of output] and record levels of coal burning,” he said, driving home the point of global inaction despite commitments.
In a moment that betrayed a sort of frustration that many at the forefront of combatting the climate crisis have shared when faced with the feet-dragging of policymakers, Kerry said: “And I do ask the question -- what is it about humanity that when we know we’re facing something existential, we cannot do the things we know we ought to do?”
Kerry made a passionate case for economic opportunity in climate action. “Solar is now so much cheaper than fossil fuels, wind cheaper than fossil fuel, geothermal will be cheaper... We have the ability today to meet the goals we set for 2030,” he said, adding that delaying action would be more costly than transitioning now. “The economy on the other side of the transition is bigger, better... you will make more money.”
He added: “Absolutely every study shows it is cheaper to do what we need to do to transition now rather than wait, and there’ll be far more damage as we wait.”
The challenge, Kerry stressed, lies with about 23 developed and near-developed countries. “China is the number one emitter -- 30% of all emissions on the planet. United States is number two. India is number three,” he said, contrasting this with 48 sub-Saharan African states that collectively account for just 0.55% of global emissions.
Specifically addressing India’s role, Kerry acknowledged the country’s complex development challenges but emphasised its crucial importance in climate action. “India is a country that has managed very complex challenges... for a long, long time,” he said, praising the “consciousness that is brought to public life and to issues.”
Despite the grave situation, Kerry expressed optimism, pointing to broader global progress. “Life is better today for many people... We’ve cured diseases we never thought we’d cure, we have longer longevity,” he said, adding that the world has solutions but needs “to kick ourselves and go out and put these things together.”
“President Kennedy once said that the problems of the world are mostly caused by human choices, and therefore they can be solved. I believe in that,” he concluded.
