Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry landed in Berlin, Germany, on Tuesday to join the closed-door Petersberg Climate Dialogue. He will remain at the elite U.N.-sponsored event for 24-hours before flying onwards again.
The U.S. Department of State confirmed Kerry’s attendance. It said “Secretary Kerry will also meet with government counterparts to continue accelerating global cooperation on the climate crisis and the clean energy transition.”
Little is known about the meeting, who is attending, the agenda or the conclusions to be considered. The public and media will not be allowed entry.
The U.N. has previously released a statement confirming the gathering, saying only “the agenda also includes a long-standing demand of many states particularly affected by the climate crisis: Financial support to cope with damage and losses due to climate change.”
The meeting of government representatives from 40 countries serves to prepare the agenda for the COP27 World Climate Conference in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt (7-18 November 2022).
It will also push for the acceptance of a demand for industrialised countries to give 100 billion U.S dollars annually to finance climate projects in poorer countries of the Global South beginning in 2023.
Kerry, the climate “czar,” is no stranger to claims of hypocrisy nor is he averse to constantly flying around the globe to tell others to watch their carbon footprint.
In 2010, then-Sen. Kerry (D-MA) was found to have docked his boat in Rhode Island, thereby avoiding paying some $500,000 in taxes in his home state of Massachusetts.
Last year Kerry was asked what message the administration had for workers in the oil and gas industry. He said they would find “better choices” and other jobs, such as manufacturing solar panels.
He also admitted even if the U.S. achieved “zero” emissions, it would not solve the problem of climate change because the vast majority of emissions come from other countries.
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