US special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry will travel to India next week
- Kerry will visit Abu Dhabi, New Delhi and Dhaka between 1 and 9 April, the State Department statement said
The United States's climate envoy, John Kerry, will travel to India next week, as part of his first Asia tour, for consultations on increasing climate ambition ahead of a climate summit that Washington will host next month.
This will be the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate's first trip to Asia since taking office early this year. Kerry will be travelling to UAE, India and Bangladesh between 1 and 9 April.
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Kerry is the second top official of the Biden Administration visiting India. In March, US Defence secretary Lloyd Austin visited the national capital.
Taking to Twitter, Kerry said: "Looking forward to meaningful discussions with friends in the Emirates, India, and Bangladesh on how to tackle the climate crisis".
"Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry will travel to Abu Dhabi, New Delhi, and Dhaka April 1-9, 2021, for consultations on increasing climate ambition ahead of President Biden's Leaders Summit on Climate April 22-23 and the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change later this year," according to a statement from the department.
Biden invites Modi to US-hosted virtual climate summit
US President Joe Biden has invited 40 world leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a virtual leaders' two-day summit on climate starting 22 April.
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This is meant to mark the US's return to the front lines of the climate crisis fight, after former president Donald Trump disengaged from the process.
The leaders' summit on climate will underscore the urgency - and the economic benefits - of stronger climate action, according to a statement by the White House on Friday.
It will be a key milestone on the road to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) this November in Glasgow.
US to make new commitments to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions
The US is expected to make ambitious new commitments to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions under the terms of the Paris climate accord soon, and will encourage others to boost their own goals.
The Paris Agreement left countries in charge of making their own promises and taking their own measurements of emission reductions but requires them to regularly revise their Nationally Determined Contributions.
The agreement's goal is to limit the increase in global temperatures by the end of the century to around 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels -- or risk leaving much of the planet inhospitable to life.
The United States, the world's top economy, is the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, which trap heat in the atmosphere.
The trip announcement comes as the administration of President Joe Biden was preparing to seek a multi-trillion dollar package from Congress to modernise ageing infrastructure, while shifting to renewable energy and electric cars.
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