US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry speaks to the press after a meeting with the French president at The Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on March 10, 2021. Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP
PARIS 鈥� US climate envoy John Kerry confirmed Wednesday the United States would lay out new financing commitments for the Paris Agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions ahead of an April 22 summit, the pact鈥檚 fifth anniversary.
Kerry announced the pledge after talks with French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, part of a European tour to signal a fresh commitment to fighting climate change after ex-president Donald Trump had pulled out of the Paris accord.
鈥淲e will announce our NDC at the April 22 summit or somewhere in the days before it,鈥� Kerry said, referring to the nationally determined contributions required by signatories.
The summit will be a 鈥渂uilding block鈥� for the road to the COP26 UN climate conference in Glasgow in November, Kerry added, 鈥渁nd we will measure ourselves every day on whether we鈥檙e meeting this effort鈥�.
Kerry and Le Maire also said they would jointly study efforts to enlist private financing for the fight against global warming, as governments scramble to line up funds to match the Paris accord goal to keep the global temperature increase to under two degrees Celsius, and ideally closer to 1.5 degrees, by 2050.
Kerry also met with French President Emmanuel Macron, who he said 鈥渨ants to work with President (Joe) Biden extremely closely, not just on the reduction of emissions, but in helping to provide the tools that will achieve this goal, specifically climate finance鈥�.
Le Maire added that 鈥渨e have to bring together growth and the environment, and the United States once again shares this goal. Finance is the sinew of this war for the climate.鈥�
Kerry estimated that 鈥渢he private sector may be able to play the largest role of all and move faster than any other entity to help us reach our goal.鈥�
But he gave a cautious welcome to France鈥檚 push for a so-called carbon border tax for the European Union, which would let governments set tariffs on imports from countries that do not impose strict limits on greenhouse gas emissions for making certain products.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 been able to sit down and evaluate鈥� whether or not it is the right tool, Kerry said.
鈥淥ur friends from France are planning to do a deep dive on it鈥� and we look forward to hearing from them on how they might apply it and how it might work,鈥� he said.
Asked to comment on Chinese commitments to limit climate change, Kerry was diplomatic regarding the world鈥檚 leading emitter of greenhouse gases.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about China,鈥� Kerry said. 鈥淲e are not trying to single out one nation.
鈥淚f China went to zero (emissions) tomorrow, we would still have a problem.
鈥淭his is a challenge for all of us,鈥� he emphasized.