As media report that whilst the Bonn Climate Change Conference starts today (6 June) John Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, for the US Department of State, warns Ukraine war no excuse for prolonging coal. Alastair Smith, Senior Teaching Fellow, Global Sustainable Development at the University of Warwick comments.

“John Kerry rightly points out that the global scramble for energy security, following the conflict in Ukraine, must not come at the expense of rapidly phasing out coal, the dirtiest of fossil fuels.

“The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) draws on the most credible international science of the last 20 years. It concludes that without global net neutrality by 2050, the Climate Emergency will accelerate and intensify humanity’s role in closing the safe operating space its own continued development.

“COP 26 failed to generate commitments to keep Global Heating below 2.6-2.7 by 2100. Despite its great historical responsibility and current capacity, the UK host of CO26 had long fallen behind the science. No additional regression on this existential agenda should be accepted by the global community.”

-ends-