GMIS2021: John Kerry calls on India, China and Russia to help "keep 1.5°C alive"
US climate envoy John Kerry has called on India, China and Russia to "come on board" with the rest of the world and commit to the energy transition in order to potentially avoid the more disastrous effects of climate change at the 2021 Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS).
Speaking during a fireside chat that focused on the energy transition post-COP26 on the first day of the summit, Kerry urged global leaders to attempt to keep the 1.5°C goals as laid out by the Paris Climate Accord "alive", urging for rapid action against the climate crisis.
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"Today, we have countries that comprise 70% of the global GDP committed to reducing their emissions by half by 2030", he told the conference.
"So obviously, we still need that 30%, we have to get them onboard – and that's India and Russia and China.”
China has promised to begin its phase-out of coal by 2026, which has been met with some criticism from activists, who feel the transition is too slow. Both Russia and India have yet to pledge to end coal use.
Kerry touched on the agreement made between the US and China back in 2015 to limit the global temperature from rising above 1.5°C when compared to pre-industrial times. The US eventually pulled out of the agreement in 2017 under the Trump administration, but re-entered in January 2021 when President Biden signed an executive order on his first day in office.
“Generally, we’re seeing incredible movement from global players, and the industrial sector is stepping up for the first time. Trillions of dollars are definitely moving in the right direction towards climate action – and money is always going to change minds", he said.
Kerry also addressed criticisms that the oil and gas sector was supposedly offered little representation during the talks in Glasgow earlier this month, stating that the fossil fuel industry has "never had a hard time getting its voice heard".
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“The challenge of oil and gas is not the industry itself, it’s the byproduct of what happens to it. What will govern it is the cost of energy in the market", he added.
The COP27 summit is set to be held in Egypt, while COP28 is set to be held in the UAE - both major oil exporters, which may help address the problems with fossil fuels at its source. Both the Middle East and Africa are key in securing the energy transition.
Transitions and adaptation are "part and parcel" with human evolution, he said, and the real question is the pace at which we enable the energy transition.
Kerry claims the transition is happening now because the market demands it. Fossil fuel prices slumped during the pandemic, while interest in renewable energy boomed as supply chains were battered by reduced demand and closed borders.
However, it could be argued that an earlier transition could have prevented the frantic nature of the energy transition, as nations and businesses scramble to diversify energy mixes and bolster their supply chains.
Solar energy now often produces cheaper electricity than coal, which may also drive market demands. While renewable energy infrastructure is still not entirely sustainable owing to the materials used in their production and the greenhouse gases emitted in other sectors such as shipping or freight that are required to transport parts, there is no doubt it is still cleaner than coal.
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Kerry said: "We need to phase coal out faster because you can’t sufficiently abate it – it’s creating the greatest warming on the planet".
“Now, the question is: will we transition fast enough to overcome the most devastating effects of climate change? Because, believe me, this is existential", he concluded.
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