The Climate Crisis: The Power of Partnerships

As COP28 wraps up this week, I’ve been reflecting on the progress we’ve made to address the climate crisis and the importance of our partnerships in achieving these crucial goals.   

No country can solve this crisis alone. As Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry said, urging nations to come together to harness the power of science for peaceful pursuits that benefit humankind represents “the highest aspiration of diplomacy, of foreign policy, and strategic interests.”   

COP28: Domestic Improvement and International Partnerships

The United States has made historic investments in clean energy. We expect to reach 100% clean electricity by 2035, and are helping other countries reach their own clean energy goals.

At #COP28, we are taking stock of the progress we have made and committing to do more. pic.twitter.com/yGK6iaSKVT

— Department of State (@StateDept) December 1, 2023

The United States is taking bold steps at home to address climate change. At COP28, the United States announced standards to sharply reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector that will achieve a nearly 80 percent reduction in expected methane emissions. This reduction is estimated to prevent 1.5 gigatons of CO2 emissions over the next 15 years. That’s equivalent to the annual emissions of 22 million cars. 

Vice President Harris announced a $3 billion pledge to the Green Climate Fund to mobilize finance at the pace and scale required to support countries vulnerable to climate change. The United States is on track to increase our international climate finance to over $9.5 billion in 2023. Following President Biden’s pledge, we are also working with Congress to increase this to more than $11 billion per year by 2024.  

It was an honor to join #COP28 in Dubai today.

I am optimistic that with ambition and bold action, we will continue to tackle the climate crisis and build a cleaner, healthier, more prosperous world. pic.twitter.com/6AWB2BSdlG

— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) December 2, 2023

The United States, governments around the world, and private sector stakeholders are uniting around efforts to incentivize the transition from fossil fuels to clean power in developing and emerging economies.   

In response to global interest in deploying U.S. nuclear energy systems to support critical climate and energy security goals, ​​we announced measures to increase access to safe and secure nuclear energy for interested nations.  

Our relationships worldwide — how we deploy them for good, how we deepen and revitalize them — is the heartbeat of U.S. foreign policy.   

As Ambassador to India, I was inspired by the remarkable progress in the field of renewable energy.  The rapid advancements in hardware efficiency and lower costs were breathtaking, and progress has continued in recent years.  At COP28, Indian and U.S. officials discussed our new partnership to help India electrify 50,000 buses and expand access to low carbon public transport.

The revolution that must take place is not just in the realm of engineering and science, but in the way we mobilize capital.  Because without affordable financing, our efforts to bring to market the cutting-edge technology needed to meet the goals agreed upon in Paris will fail.

In addition to the work we must do at home, expanding access to energy in countries like India is fundamental.  Without electricity, it is simply impossible to  develop the necessary jobs, homes, factories, offices, schools, and other infrastructure needed for sustainable climate change.

While rising temperatures and the never-ending momentum of human activity, consumption, and destruction can crush conviction and hope… it is the indomitable spirit of environmental stewards, the creative solutions proposed by Earth’s brightest minds, and the international partnerships that span politics and geographic borders that give us the hope to carry on.

About the Author:  Richard R. Verma serves as the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. In this role, he acts as the Chief Operating Officer of the Department, and leads the Department’s efforts on modernization, foreign assistance, and a wide range of workforce and strategic issues. Deputy Secretary Verma previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to India, where he led one of the largest U.S. diplomatic missions and championed historic progress in bilateral ties.