Kerry: We Can’t Fix Climate Without China Completely Ditching Coal That They’re Using More of

During an interview with CNN International Correspondent Paula Newton that was aired on Friday’s broadcast of CNN International’s “Amanpour,” Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry acknowledged that unless China moves off coal completely, we cannot meet climate goals.

Kerry said, “India is building coal and has coal, and they’ve already built it. They’ve depended on it for their development. China has depended on coal for their development. They have too much coal, in our judgment, in China, and we’re working with them to try to see how we could begin to turn that around. The fact is that, even if the United States of America went to zero tomorrow, we’d still have to ask these other countries and work with these other countries to reduce emissions.”

He added, “First of all, yes, China is dependent on coal and has been for their development. And they have to move away from coal over time. China is currently — and we can’t make it if China doesn’t move off that coal, that’s one of the critical points we’re making to them. We cannot solve this problem if we don’t talk to China and work to try to move in a way that’s cooperative. Not that we’re dictating or ordering somebody to do something, we’re working on this together in order to be able to find the ways in which we can both do a better job. But the truth is that China has been building coal, we have not.”

Kerry also stated that “China is building more and more coal,” and their emissions are increasing, but “hopefully,” China’s renewables “will put them in a position that they don’t need the coal, they don’t have to light and burn those furnaces.”

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