US climate envoy John Kerry lauds China at COP26

John Kerry says China has specifically put forward a willingness to announce a climate action plan that is ambitious.

US special climate envoy John Kerry. Picture: AFP

John Kerry, the US climate envoy, has defended China’s participation at the COP26, saying that China has specifically put forward a willingness to announce a climate action plan that is ambitious.

Mr Kerry said the US co-operation agreement with China, one of the most surprising announcements during the fortnight of the climate talks in Glasgow, was “crystal clear” to reduce emissions and create goals, targets and numbers. He hailed the agreement because “we are the two largest economies in the world and we are going to work together to raise climate ambition in this decade’’.

The absence of Chinese president Xi Jinping at the leaders’ summit during the opening days of COP26 had been criticised, as had the failure of China – which produces more than a quarter of the world’s carbon emissions – to upgrade its environmental targets at Glasgow.

But Mr Kerry said experts from the two countries would now come together and be able to accelerate technology to reduce emissions and the two countries would work together to raise climate ambition this decade.

“Specifically China put forward a willingness to announce a climate action plan that is ambitious, and will be reporting to COP27 next year in November,’’ Mr Kerry said.

“That’s certainty, “ he said, adding that China still signed up to the final COP26 Glasgow Pact even with last minute change of wording regarding coal.

“China still signed up to the COP decision to phase-down coal and move to accelerate the transition, and announced a specific time frame to commence best efforts, and they say they will accelerate that and do it early,” Mr Kerry said.

Mr Kerry said the majority of the 20 largest economies in the world – which are responsible for 80 per cent of emissions – are committed to reaching the 1.5C global warming target.

He noted that there were nations who had never considered having the word “coal’’ in the climate plans, but yet the Glasgow Pact has the phase-down of coal on the books.

Mr Kerry was displeased how the wording about coal had been reworked in the final minutes of the conference, but said “you have to phase down coal before you can end coal, so this is the beginning of something. Paris built the arena (in 2015) and Glasgow starts the race and tonight the starting gun was fired, we have nine years to make critical decisions”.