The world has to do “a lot more and faster” to achieve its climate goals and must stop “basing policy on self-delusion”, US climate envoy John Kerry said on Thursday.
Speaking at an event organised by think tank Chatham House in London in the lead-up to Cop27, the former US presidential candidate attacked the proliferation of “false narratives” that have allowed for “the avoidance of reality, the downgrading of science, the unwillingness to be truthful to each other and basing [climate] policy partly on self delusion."
Policymakers and world leaders will gather at the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt in November to take the next step in the fight against the climate crisis.
Reflecting on the progress made since Cop26 in Glasgow, the climate envoy welcomed the “amazing number of initiatives” but said Sharm El Sheikh needed to be “the implementation of promises made”.
“We left Glasgow with 65 per cent of global GDP [gross domestic product] committed to legitimate plans … but if you only have 65 per cent of global GDP doing that, then you have a real problem and the other 35 per cent has to come to the table with significant increases,” he said.
“The science says we have to hit a minimum of 45 per cent by 2030. We could still do that if we deployed renewables fast enough around the world. But we're not.”
"We need to do a lot more a lot faster."
His remarks came on the heels of a disastrous warning from the UN that the world remains on course for a rise of 2.8°C in global temperatures after what the agency called a “wasted year” in which countries largely failed to deliver emissions pledges made at Cop26.
“In other words, we are headed for a global catastrophe,” UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres said of the world's body's environment programme report published on Thursday.
“We are headed for economy-destroying levels of global heating. We need climate action on all fronts — and we need it now,” said Mr Guterres.
Last year, about 200 governments promised to strengthen their emissions plans to try to hold the world’s “guardrail” temperature warming to 1.5°C, the Paris Agreement target, but the latest UN report suggests a current at-best scenario of 2.4°C.
Mr Kerry said the UN report showed that there was a “formidable gap” in reaching the climate goals but added that “we have to acknowledge that Covid had an impact and Ukraine has had an impact”.
On the other hand, the former US secretary of state said the war in Ukraine and the “weaponisation” of Russian gas had “absolutely accelerated” the move to renewables. Mr Kerry said he expected more countries to wake up to the “stark realisation of what this dependency has done to their economies and their future”.
Rising temperatures, currently at 1.1°C, are already resulting in violent and unpredictable weather events. The UK and Europe were hit by destructive wildfires after temperatures soared above 40°C several times this summer, while Pakistan’s devastating floods submerged large parts of the country and cost an estimated $30 billion in damage.
“Everything that's happening today is happening at 1.1°C of warming and we are still trying to get to 1.5°C — at this stage, before we've even exhausted the seven years left to 2030. Are we going to give up and say we can't make it?” Mr Kerry asked.
“There's something in the human psyche that has an ability to procrastinate, and we all know this but we just can't afford to on this one.”
He said he believed the Paris Agreement goal was still reachable but “only if we implement every promise made in Glasgow and the promises we still have to make in Sharm El Sheikh and in the UAE”.
Calling it a “multilateral, non-ideological, non-political issue”, Mr Kerry told the event that there was no time for “myopic ostrich policies”.
“We cannot just put our head in the sand and pretend there's nothing happening. It is happening inexorably. And it is legitimate to say that if you look out at the world today, that this past year may be the best it's going to be and that is a very bitter pill to offer our children and future generations,” he said.
Mr Kerry said countries should “seize the options available” and abandon fossil fuels in place of renewable energy, the “greatest economic opportunity the world has ever known”.
“This is a second Industrial Revolution, but clean.”
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The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
England-South Africa Test series
1st Test England win by 211 runs at Lord's, London
2nd Test South Africa win by 340 runs at Trent Bridge, Nottingham
3rd Test July 27-31 at The Oval, London
4th Test August 4-8 at Old Trafford, Manchester
Biog:
Age: 34
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite sport: anything extreme
Favourite person: Muhammad Ali
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh359,000
On sale: now
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.9" Liquid Retina IPS, 2360 x 1640, 264ppi, wide colour, True Tone, Apple Pencil support
Chip: Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory: 64/256GB storage; 8GB RAM
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, Smart HDR
Video: 4K @ 25/25/30/60fps, full HD @ 25/30/60fps, slo-mo @ 120/240fps
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR, Centre Stage; full HD @ 25/30/60fps
Audio: Stereo speakers
Biometrics: Touch ID
I/O: USB-C, smart connector (for folio/keyboard)
Battery: Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi; up to 9 hours on cellular
Finish: Space grey, starlight, pink, purple, blue
Price: Wi-Fi – Dh2,499 (64GB) / Dh3,099 (256GB); cellular – Dh3,099 (64GB) / Dh3,699 (256GB)
Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
AS IT STANDS IN POOL A
1. Japan - Played 3, Won 3, Points 14
2. Ireland - Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Points 11
3. Scotland - Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Points 5
Remaining fixtures
Scotland v Russia – Wednesday, 11.15am
Ireland v Samoa – Saturday, 2.45pm
Japan v Scotland – Sunday, 2.45pm
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Company%20profile
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MATCH INFO
Liverpool 0
Stoke City 0
Man of the Match: Erik Pieters (Stoke)
SAUDI RESULTS
Team Team Pederson (-40), Team Kyriacou (-39), Team De Roey (-39), Team Mehmet (-37), Team Pace (-36), Team Dimmock (-33)
Individual E. Pederson (-14), S. Kyriacou (-12), A van Dam (-12), L. Galmes (-12), C. Hull (-9), E. Givens (-8),
G. Hall (-8), Ursula Wikstrom (-7), Johanna Gustavsson (-7)
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The 10 Questions
- Is there a God?
- How did it all begin?
- What is inside a black hole?
- Can we predict the future?
- Is time travel possible?
- Will we survive on Earth?
- Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
- Should we colonise space?
- Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
- How do we shape the future?
Race card:
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m.
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 1,200m.
8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m.
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m.
9.20pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m.
SPECS
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