The Biden administration's “climate envoy” John Kerry has claimed that the United States is “on the brink of declaring a climate emergency.”
inside forum In response to a question about what people who care about the climate and are concerned about the future should do in the talk, hosted by the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics last week, Kelly said that people should agree with the president's claims. He said there was a need to “start focusing” on -Donald Trump's transition. Kelly added that “seven million people” die each year due to poor air quality.
Kerry added that the United States “needs to refocus” on what's happening “in other parts of the world.”
“Personally, I think we're on the brink of having to declare a climate emergency. That's where we really are,” Kerry said. “And we need people to act as if this really is a major transitional challenge for the entire planet.”
“People in Africa” who don't have electricity “need to choose the right kind of electricity,” Kerry said, adding that the U.S. “needs to help them buy electricity.”
“We have the largest economy in the world, $24 trillion, $23 trillion, maybe even more now,” Kelly added. “The next closest is China, at about $18 trillion. And the next closest are Germany and Japan, at $4 trillion. That's about a drop. We have some obligation to be accountable. Don’t you think so? I think so.”
In January, it was reported that Kerry would step down as US climate envoy to work on President Joe Biden's re-election campaign.
The White House has selected John Podesta to replace Kerry as the US climate envoy.
