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Kamala Harris introduced that the US will contribute $3bn (£2.3bn) to a local weather fund for growing nations throughout her go to to the Cop28 summit in Dubai on Saturday.
The vp, the highest-ranking American official to attend after president Joe Biden determined to skip the summit, additionally used her go to to the Center East to handle the continuing Israel-Hamas warfare.
Harris landed on Saturday within the United Arab Emirates the place she was greeted on the tarmac by US ambassador Martina Sturdy and Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri, the UAE minister of state for superior know-how.
She was then whisked straight to the Dubai Expo venue the place she spoke to lots of of world leaders contained in the packed Al Hairat auditorium.
From the stage, Harris warned that around the globe “there are those that search to gradual or cease our progress”.
“Leaders who deny local weather science, delay local weather motion and unfold misinformation. Companies that greenwash their local weather inaction and foyer for billions of {dollars} in fossil gas subsidies,” she stated.
The vp added: “Continued progress is not going to be attainable with out a battle.”
Harris has joined a coterie of senior officers in Dubai together with the US prime local weather negotiator, secretary John Kerry, secretary of state Antony Blinken, White Home nationwide local weather adviser Ali Zaidi and EPA administrator Michael S Regan, in a bid to strengthen that the local weather disaster stays prime of America’s agenda regardless of Biden’s absence.
The US additionally introduced on Saturday:
- The nation would construct no new coal-fired energy vegetation;
- New home guidelines that drive oil firms to chop methane by monitoring leaks and banning routine flaring
- A take care of 118 nations to triple the world’s renewable power capability by 2030.
The $3bn for the Inexperienced Local weather Fund comes after the US was criticized for its “embarrassing” pledge of $17.5m to the brand new Loss and Harm fund for susceptible nations when the UAE, Germany and Italy promised $100m (£78m).
The US has made slashing methane, which leaks from oil and fuel operations, landfills and livestock, a central pillar of its Cop28 agenda, and desires extra nations to decide to cuts, constructing on an settlement it signed final month with China. The potent greenhouse fuel has about 80 occasions the warming energy of carbon dioxide over 20 years.
Harris additionally used her UAE journey to debate the Israel-Hamas warfare because the highest-ranking US official to go to an Arab nation because the battle broke out in October.
Nationwide Safety Council spokesperson John Kirby stated Harris will talk about “our want to see this pause restored, our want to see assist getting again in, our want to see hostages get out” with regional leaders.
Israel has intensified assaults on Gaza in current days after the collapse of a week-long truce.
President Biden determined to skip Cop28 as he offers with a number of home and worldwide issues.
He briefly attended Cop27 in Egypt final 12 months, and put in a number of days at Cop26 in Scotland in 2021.
Local weather advocates shared their dismay at his absence.
“President Biden’s failure to attend Cop28 is a transparent sign that he’s not prepared to confront US oil and fuel manufacturing at this summit,” Jean Su, power justice director on the Middle for Organic Range, instructed The Impartial.
“Fossil fuels are lastly heart stage at this Cop, and we must always have the president right here pushing for the boldest, quickest fossil gas phaseout.
“President Biden’s absence on this significant world stage exhibits he’s not taking that phaseout significantly on the time once we want it most. It’s important that his staff commit to completely phasing out fossil fuels within the ultimate choice textual content.”
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