Ukraine War Could Derail Climate Efforts, Kerry Says
The US special envoy for climate on Tuesday warned against allowing the war in Ukraine to derail efforts to curb climate change. "No one should believe that the crisis of Ukraine is an excuse to suddenly build out the old kind of infrastructure that we had," John Kerry said at a climate panel about energy transition at the World Economic Forum in Davos. "We have to be more creative than that, we have to be much smarter than that given the stake," he added. Kerry said that it was possible to both meet the need of increased energy from fossil fuels in the short-term, particularly in Europe, and stay on course to reduce emissions over the coming years. Frans Timmermans, the European Union's executive vice president for the European Green Deal, also spoke. He said Europe had changed following 24 February, when Russian troops invaded Ukraine. "One of the effects of this change is that we can no longer depend on Russian fossil fuels and that it is best for our security and our prosperity and our future that we make sure we no longer need Russian oil and gas," Timmermans said. He added hydrogen was part of the long term answer within the framework of REPowerEU, the European Commission's plan to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels well before 2030. The world’s top climate scientists have repeatedly warned that increased investment in fossil fuels are hurting chances to keep warming to limit warming to 1.5 C (2.7 F), and thus avoid even more devastating effects. Attendees in Davos this week will discuss several other high-priority issues, like the Russia-Ukraine war, the threat of rising hunger worldwide, inequality and persistent health crises. But even in discussions of those issues, climate change was often ever present, as was the tension over what role oil and gas companies may play in a transition to green energy. The debate comes as examples of acutely felt impacts of climate change multiply, including recent heat waves in Southeast Asia to flooding in parts of South America. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm Subscribe to our newest channel Quicktake Explained: https://bit.ly/3iERrup Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world. To watch complete coverage on Bloomberg Quicktake 24/7, visit http://www.bloomberg.com/qt/live, or watch on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV and Android TV on the Bloomberg app. Have a story to tell? Fill out this survey for a chance to have it featured on Bloomberg Quicktake: https://cor.us/surveys/27AF30 Connect with us on… YouTube: / bloomberg Breaking News on YouTube: / bloombergquicktakenews Twitter: / quicktake Facebook: / quicktake Instagram: / quicktake
