(The Guardian) Midterms results won't derail US climate ambition - Kerry
John Kerry, the US climate envoy, has vowed that Joe Biden’s administration will press ahead on climate action regardless of the outcome of today’s midterm elections, which are expected to go badly for Democrats.
Kerry, speaking at the US pavilion at Cop27, said that he hoped Congress would agree to expand funding for developing countries to help deal with climate impacts but that “even if we don’t, folks, president Biden is more determined than ever to continue what we are doing”. “Most of what we are doing cannot be changed by anyone else coming along,” Kerry added, noting that cities and states across America banded together to commit to the Paris climate agreement when Donald Trump removed the US from the pact when president.
US officials in Egypt hope that the inflation reduction act bill passed in August, which contains more than $370bn in climate spending and was called “one of the single most important pieces of legislation over the past 50 years or so” by Kerry in his speech, will drive deep cuts in emissions regardless of the midterms.
It’s widely expected, however, that Republicans will win at least one house of Congress in the elections. The GOP has decried what it calls Biden’s “radical green agenda” and could stall or hamper the rollout of measures aimed at boosting renewable energy deployment. Biden arrives at Cop27 on Friday, potentially in a downcast mood following the outcome of the elections.
John Kerry, the US climate envoy, has vowed that Joe Biden’s administration will press ahead on climate action regardless of the outcome of today’s midterm elections, which are expected to go badly for Democrats.
Kerry, speaking at the US pavilion at Cop27, said that he hoped Congress would agree to expand funding for developing countries to help deal with climate impacts but that “even if we don’t, folks, president Biden is more determined than ever to continue what we are doing”. “Most of what we are doing cannot be changed by anyone else coming along,” Kerry added, noting that cities and states across America banded together to commit to the Paris climate agreement when Donald Trump removed the US from the pact when president.
US officials in Egypt hope that the inflation reduction act bill passed in August, which contains more than $370bn in climate spending and was called “one of the single most important pieces of legislation over the past 50 years or so” by Kerry in his speech, will drive deep cuts in emissions regardless of the midterms.
It’s widely expected, however, that Republicans will win at least one house of Congress in the elections. The GOP has decried what it calls Biden’s “radical green agenda” and could stall or hamper the rollout of measures aimed at boosting renewable energy deployment. Biden arrives at Cop27 on Friday, potentially in a downcast mood following the outcome of the elections.
