Kerry Hails President Sisi's Commitment to Address Climate Change

The United States special envoy for climate change John Forbes Kerry has joined President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Sharm El-Sheikh.

Kerry thanked President Sisi, for his leadership on this issue and his commitment to have the government of Egypt sponsor the next COP27.

Kerry said: "I'm very glad to be able to help celebrate Egypt's leadership on climate and its readiness to engage young people around the world, recognizing that it is the young people who have really been asking the adults to behave like adults and get the job done."

Kerry also saluted Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Environment Minister Dr. Yasmine Fouad.

The US special envoy said that the younger generation are somewhat frustrated today and he shares with them that frustration.

"Scientists have noted that within the next eight years, critical decisions must be taken and implemented in order to avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis," he said. "In every country, people are feeling the consequences of this climate crisis."

Unprecedented fires have gone out of control, levels of heat have been recorded, in the Antarctic, a massive ice sheet broke off.

"We accepted the responsibility in Glasgow, again, of trying to hold the earth's temperature increase to about 1.5 degrees."

Kerry added that the climate crisis is the biggest challenge the world face right now, governments, and the private sector need to join hands and move fast enough.

"The economic opportunities are gigantic. Millions of jobs can be created as we build out new energy systems, as we build electric vehicles instead of internal combustion engine vehicles, as we build smart grids in our country where we can take solar from one part of the nation and send it to another part of the nation, or wind power, which could even be sold to other countries if you have a surplus of power, Kerry pointed out.

The US envoy said that combating the current this is the best way nations can build better security; they will need to deploy trillions of dollars of investment to make this transformation.

He remarked that many of the major financial institutions of the world have already stepped up and said that they are prepared to make those investments, providing the governments with the necessary mechanism to help to facilitate the deployment of that money by having good regulations, transparency, accountability, honesty in the data.

"So, Egypt and Africa going to play a very critical role in helping to set the mark and help us meet these goals, and particularly on adaptation, mitigation, on dealing with methane, on deforestation, and other critical pledges and commitments."