The U.S envoy on climate change John Kerry has warned that the war in Ukraine must not be used as an excuse to prolong reliance on coal. Speaking to the BBC, John Kerry criticized a number of large countries for not living up to the promises they made at the COP26 Climate Summit. Climate diplomats meet again in Bonn amid new energy security worries. If countries extend their reliance on coal in response to the war, then “we are cooked”, Mr. Kerry said.
The fragile unity shown in Glasgow last November is likely to be tested in Bonn as countries deal with the fallout from the war in Ukraine and the cost of living crises. John Kerry told BBC, that despite these drawbacks, “as a world we are still not moving fast enough. “to rein in the emission of warming cases that are driving up temperatures. “we can still win this battle”, the former U.S Senator said, but it will require a “wholesale elevation of effort by countries all around the world”.
Mr. Kerry’s call was echoed by a leading Ukrainian Scientist who urged delegates to speed up their transition away from fossil fuels. Dr. Svitana Kraskorska said oil and gas were the “enabler of war”.
Today’s meeting in Bonn, which will last until the end of next week, is much smaller than COP26 and is mainly a technical negotiation. It occurs halfway between the big conference in Glasgow and COP27, to be held in Egypt.
The talks will be carried out by civil servants with limited political input and will review the progress on a host of issues agreed in the Glasgow climate pact.