The US is willing to work with China and other major greenhouse gas emitting nations to tackle climate challenges and reduce the level of emissions much quickly.
The world's largest oil and gas producer aims to set up a separate track with China to co-operate on climate change - one that will not be affected by trade tensions that have marred relations between the world’s two biggest economies, US special presidential envoy on climate, John Kerry told CeraWeek on Tuesday evening.
“It is a compelling moment with respect to relations with China” Mr Kerry told the online global energy summit that has brought ministers, energy executives and policymakers together to discuss climate challenges and green energy transition.
Significant competition issues persist and “will exist” between the two nations, but “climate crisis is not something that can fall victim to those other concerns and contests”, Mr Kerry said.
“We will engage with China, we will be pursuing a track on climate that does not get confused by the other items.”
China is responsible for 30 per cent of all emissions, and together with the US and the European Union as a bloc, the three entities account for more than 55 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in the world.
“There’s no solving this by any one country alone. You have to have China on the table,” Mr Kerry, a former US Secretary of State and one of the main architects of Paris Climate Agreement, said. “There will be no other choices if we do not deal with this one correctly.”
Mr Kerry took up the special envoy's role after President Joe Biden took oath of office in January. The new US president signed an executive order, paving the country's return to the Paris Agreement – a global deal to cut carbon emissions and halt temperature rises – just hours after his inauguration, effectively reversing his predecessor Donald Trump's decision to pull out in 2017. It formally re-entered the pact a month later.
Mr Biden also reversed approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, the controversial project with Canada, making good on his campaign promise and signalling the country's willingness to re-engage in addressing climate issues.
The US is now trying to bring major emitting nations including China, India, Russia and Japan to the table and push them to raise their climate goals, Mr Kerry said.
It plans a online summit of these nations on April 22 and it is “already talking to them about this”, he said.
“We will be asking all these nations to raise their ambitions as we go to Glasgow [for global climate summit]. We are way behind.”
The US is currently working on redesigning its own “National Defined Contribution (NDC), its climate goals ad roadmap to achieve them, which the country plans to announce at the summit, he said.
“It will have to be aggressive because we are behind,” he said.
The US, Mr Kerry said, is also willing to work with India in order to accelerate its transition to clean energy. Asia’s third-largest economy has a goal of producing 450 Gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030.
“It’s a great goal but they need about $600bn to be able to make that kind of a transition. Finances is perhaps one of the biggest challenges when it comes to India,” he said.
“I’ve put together a small consortium of a number of countries that are prepared to help India with some of the finance in transition. I have been working with major investment houses and asset managers in our country to try to determine how much private sector capital can be directed … so we can make this transition faster.”
The fossil fuel industry globally also needs to do a lot more to transition into a full fledged energy industry and embrace some of the new technologies, he said, adding that there are prediction that by 2050, about 6$ trillion a year of economic transfer will take place in the clean energy technology sector.
“It’s just the market of the future,” he said. “You have seen a massive allocation of $500bn allocated to wind, solar, clear transportation [sectors] and there is no sign it is going to stop.”
The market, he said, is changing as consumers are spending and buying differently and they are demanding a change.
“If you are the chieftain of an oil and gas company, you can’t help but read the tea leaves of the spreadsheet to see what’s coming … where the market is going,” he said.
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
4/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The biog
Age: 59
From: Giza Governorate, Egypt
Family: A daughter, two sons and wife
Favourite tree: Ghaf
Runner up favourite tree: Frankincense
Favourite place on Sir Bani Yas Island: “I love all of Sir Bani Yas. Every spot of Sir Bani Yas, I love it.”
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What to watch out for:
Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof
The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history
Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure
Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Indika
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
WandaVision
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany
Directed by: Matt Shakman
Rating: Four stars
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
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