US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate and former Secretary of State John Kerry in conversation with Nick Clark, Environment Editor, Al Jazeera English, during a plenary panel at Doha Forum, yesterday. PIC: RAJAN VADAKKEMURIYIL
US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate and Former Secretary of State, John Kerry has called for concrete action and commitment to the pledges made by countries to mitigate climate change, during the Doha Forum 2022, yesterday.
“When it comes to climate change, it’s not the time for understanding, it’s time for action,” he said at a Plenary Panel. “We are not talking here about avoiding the climate crisis, but we are saying that the world has 8 years to make decisions to avoid the worst consequences of a climate crisis that humanity is witnessing,” he added, stressing that these consequences can only be avoided.
“So let me emphasise to everybody that is not to avoid the crisis, it is to avoid the worst consequences of the crisis. And that’s only avoidable if we cut emissions by 45% between now and 2030,” he said, in conversation with Nick Clark, Environment Editor, Al Jazeera English.
He pointed out that there are 20 countries in the world, which cause up to 80 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, and only 12 of them are on the right track to reduce emissions.
Kerry stressed that many countries pledged to reduce emissions at international climate change conferences, but the problem remains as they haven’t fulfilled the commitments.
He also highlighted the importance of investing in the transition towards eco-friendly economies and projects, warning that the cost of damages caused by climate change is much greater than the money that countries will spend to manufacture this transformation.
“It compels that we must invest in this transition. And the UN report on finance says that there is a deficit of between two and a half and four and a half trillion dollars per year for the next 30 years. No government in the world has the money to do that. The only way we get to where we have to go to prevent trillions of dollars of damage that far exceeds the money we need to invest,” said Kerry.
He also emphasized that the private sector has to become fully engaged in energy transition plans to curb carbon emissions causing global warming. On the sidelines of the Doha Forum 2022, Kerry also acknowledged the ingenuity and commitment to living sustainably of Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar (AYCMQA). Formed in support of the US embassy in Doha, AYCMQA is the first registered youth-led grassroots organisation in Qatar.
