Timmermans highlights personal importance at Glasgow Climate Summit • Closing day protests

On the closing day of the climate summit, US climate envoy John Kerry called on all participants to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade. According to him, the science is crystal clear when it comes to the need for this in the pursuit of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees.

“To avoid the worst effects of the climate crisis, we must act now,” Kerry said. The biggest economies, which are also the biggest emitters, should play an important role in this regard. According to Kerry, the United States, one of the biggest emitters, is ready to take on this responsibility. For example, he calls for an end to fossil fuel subsidies. Kerry believes this should be included in the final declaration in Glasgow as well. He called the grants “the definition of insanity.”

He also called for not further weakening the other texts of the draft declaration. For example, changes have been made to passages relating to short-term CO2 reductions and phasing out the use of coal. On passages dealing with reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Kerry said he believed “very deeply” that the text should be preserved. “He can’t get any weaker. He can’t go back from here.”