US PRESIDENT JOE Biden has told the COP27 conference that the “very life of the planet” is at stake in the climate crisis, as he gave an assurance that the United States is on track to slash carbon emissions.
He told the summit that every nation needs to “step up” and “renew and raise our climate ambitions” at the gathering.
“It’s a duty and responsibility of global leadership. Countries that are in a position to help should be supporting developing countries so they can make decisive climate decisions – facilitating their energy transitions, building a path to prosperity compatible with our climate imperative,” he said.
The UN climate conference has been taking place this week in Egypt and will conclude on 18 November. It sees countries tasked with trying to negotiate new climate commitments – though even agreeing on an agenda was a drawn-out process.
Biden missed the two-day World Leaders Summit at the conference earlier this week, which coincided with the US midterm elections.
Addressing delegates this afternoon, he said the climate crisis is about “human security, economic security, environmental security, national security and the very life of the planet”.
He assured delegates that the US was meeting the challenge with urgency and apologised for the country having temporarily exited the 2015 Paris Agreement under former president Donald Trump.
He also spoke about the Inflation Reduction Act, which he signed into law in August. It pledges to invest $370 billion in renewable energy in the US over the next decade in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Scientists estimate that the legislation could cut US greenhouse gas emissions by about 30–40% below 2005 levels by 2030, bringing the country closer to delivering on its pledge of a 50% reduction, which Biden made last year.
Biden said the United States is “on track” to achieve its pledge. He said the US department of energy estimates that the law will reduce the nation’s emissions by around a billion tonnes in 2030 “while unleashing a new era of clean energy power and economic growth”.
Tune in as I deliver remarks at the 27th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27). https://t.co/J5QcVQRjjr
— President Biden (@POTUS) November 11, 2022
“Our investments in technology, from electric batteries to hydrogen, are going to spark a cycle of innovation that will reduce the cost and improve the performance of clean energy technology that will be available to nations worldwide, not just in the United States,” he said.
It’s going to shift the paradigm from the United States to the entire world.
His speech, which lasted about 22 minutes, was briefly interrupted by unidentified people in the crowd making howling noises and attempting to unfurl a banner protesting fossil fuels.
In a pointed criticism of the upheaval sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Biden said the conflict gave fresh impetus to the ongoing push to replace oil and gas with renewable sources. As a major energy exporter, Moscow has for years had a strong economic grip on energy poor western Europe.
“Russia’s war only enhances the urgency of the need to transition the world off its dependence on fossil fuels,” Biden said.
Loss and damage
The US leader is under pressure to commit to provide financial help to developing countries who are least responsible for planet-heating emissions and are seeking what amounts to reparations from rich polluters to cope with accelerating climate impacts.
However, Biden did not mention this issue in his speech. He only spent a few hours at the conference before heading to an ASEAN regional summit in Cambodia, followed by G20 talks in Indonesia.
Calling out the United States as “the historic polluter”, Mohamed Adow, founder of the think tank Power Shift Africa, said Washington has been an obstacle to the establishment of a “loss and damage” fund.
“So our test for Biden … is, will he actually set out US commitment in providing effective support on loss and damage for the vulnerable countries?” Adow said.
Germany’s climate envoy, Jennifer Morgan, told reporters that Biden’s attendance at COP27 was a “very good sign” that reassures other countries that “the United States at the highest level takes this issue incredibly seriously”.
Earlier this week, US climate envoy John Kerry presented a public-private partnership aimed at supporting the transition to renewable energy in developing nations based on a carbon credit system.
But the plan has been heavily criticised by activists wary of firms using these to “offset” their carbon emissions.
The White House today announced plans to require federal contractors to set targets to reduce their emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.
It also aims to step up efforts to cut methane emissions – a major contributor to global warming – with a “Super-Emitter Response Programme” that would require companies to act on leaks reported by “credible” third parties.
As he left the venue to return to Air Force One for a flight to Cambodia, reporters asked Biden what would persuade his Republican party opponents to agree to fund expensive climate initiatives.
“Reality,” he said.
Additional reporting from © AFP 2022
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