The US climate envoy has slammed industry claims that the world must extract more fossil fuels to solve the energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine.
said on the eve COP27, the UN climate conference in EgyptJohn Kerry said that while countries should be able to reach a deal in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, the military conflict complicates the challenge.
“Frankly, some in the fossil fuel industry are using the Ukraine crisis as leverage to be able to say ‘we need to pump more, we’re moving too fast’,” Mr Kerry said.
“It’s not true, it’s not an accurate narrative,” he said.
King Charles meets John Kerry and others at Buckingham Palace reception
Natural gas prices have soared since Russia compressed supplies in response to Ukrainian war sanctions, and the fossil fuel lobby has pushed for more extraction of polluting oil and gas to improve energy security.
But nearly every country in the world has pledged to transition to clean energy sources such as renewables and nuclear to curb climate damage.
Major economies such as the European Union, the United States and Japan accelerated the shift last year.
However, Mr Kerry said countries were realising they needed to reduce their reliance on oil and gas as an energy source.
“Many countries in Europe – most countries in fact – have learned the lesson of this war, which is to not let oil dictators hold you hostage for energy, to not let them use energy as a weapon against you, ‘ he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
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He rejects the taboo idea of industrialized, polluting countries “compensating” for climate collapse in developing countries – an issue dubbed “loss and damage” – but urged those with greater capacity to “strengthen and help this transition” “.
“We don’t see it as — we don’t see it as compensation. We’re going to see it as our effort to help countries adapt, be able to become more resilient and visibly respond to the challenges they face due to the loss and damage they face. loss.”
Mr Kerry, who was US secretary of state in the Barack Obama administration, told Sky News last month It will be ‘very strong’ if King Charles attends COP27.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will attend next week’s event in Egypt after a U-turn, but King Charles, a staunch environmentalist when he was Prince Charles, will miss the event.
Speaking at a reception hosted by the King in the Buckingham Palace Ballroom on Friday, Mr Sunak said: “As recent events have shown, it is more important than ever to deliver on Glasgow’s promise.
“If we don’t act today, we risk leaving an even more desperate legacy for our children.”
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