Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry said Wednesday that people would “feel better” about Russia’s war against Ukraine if Moscow focused more on fighting climate change.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in early 2022, has resulted in an estimated 500,000 civilian and soldier casualties on both sides of the war, according to U.S. intelligence. Kerry said during a press briefing on Wednesday that if Russia “has the ability” to invade Ukraine, it should at the very least put an emphasis on reducing its emissions and work with the international community to solve the “climate issue” to give people some consolation. (RELATED: ‘That’s A Stupid Question’: John Kerry Snaps At Reporter Asking Him About His ‘Carbon Footprint’ At Davos)
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“I believe that Russia has the ability to be able to make enormous changes if it really wanted to. I mean, if Russia has the ability to wage a war illegally and invade another country, they ought to be able to find the effort to be responsible on the climate issue,” Kerry told reporters on Wednesday. “We have not been engaged in discussions with Russia, sadly. I say ‘sadly’ because it’s a loss for the world not to be able to have Russia acting constructively on this issue.”
“Russia’s one the largest emitters in the world. If Russia wanted to show good faith, they could go out and announce what their reductions are going to be and make a greater effort to reduce emissions now,” Kerry said. “Maybe that would open up the door for people to feel better about what Russia is choosing to do at this point in time.”
Kerry has previously been criticized for promoting climate-positive solutions while not acting to reduce his own “carbon footprint,” including his occasional use of private jets for travel. He has also faced scrutiny for his praise of China’s climate initiatives even while appearing to ignore Beijing’s array of human rights atrocities and authoritarian policies.
Kerry announced in January he would be departing from his role as climate envoy so that he could aid President Joe Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign.
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