The United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Executive Vice-President of the Commission in charge of the European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans, expressed, on Tuesday 9 March, their willingness to cooperate to tackle the challenge of the climate crisis at a meeting in preparation for the United Nations Climate Conference (COP26).
“We are going to be working hand in hand to make a success of Glasgow”, said Frans Timmermans.
“It is important for us to align ourselves now (...) because no one country can resolve this crisis”, added Mr Kerry.
Stating that he was in Brussels to “renew” EU-US climate cooperation, the Special Envoy stressed, in particular, the importance of new technologies, such as carbon capture, batteries and hydrogen, to respond to the climate crisis and turn it into an economic opportunity.
“There is a lot of new technologies behind (the European Green Deal)”, Ms von der Leyen agreed, all the while stressing how important it was for Europeans that Washington be at their side to respond to the climate challenge.
While the COP26 is scheduled to take place from 1 to 12 November in Glasgow, an international climate summit will be held in the United States on 22 April, on the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Paris Agreement. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)