John Kerry issues warning over climate, calls on China to step up on emissions cuts

John Kerry issues warning over climate, calls on China to step up on emissions cuts

The United States' climate envoy John Kerry issued a stark warning on Tuesday, claiming that the suffering brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic would be "magnified many times over in a world that does not grapple with, and ultimately halt, the climate crisis." In a speech delivered in London, Kerry — who on Thursday is due to attend a G20 ministerial meeting in Italy focused on the environment, climate and energy — sought to emphasize the magnitude of the challenge facing the planet. "The climate crisis, my friends, is the test of our times," he said. "And while some may still believe it is unfolding in slow motion, no, this test is now as acute and as existential as any previous one." Former Secretary of State Kerry also stressed the need for geopolitical cooperation, acknowledging that "no country and no continent alone can solve the climate crisis." Turning to China, Kerry noted that "a foundational building block" of its growth had stemmed from "a staggering amount of fossil fuel use" and called on it to step up when it came to cutting emissions. In a remotely delivered address to the United Nations General Assembly last September, Chinese President Xi Jinping