John Kerry argues people would ‘really feel higher’ about war in Ukraine if Russia reduced emissions

Outgoing Special Presidential Envoy for Climate (SPEC) John Kerry claimed that people would “feel better” about the continued war in Ukraine if Russia would “make a better effort to cut back emissions.”

“If Russia wanted to show good faith, they could go out and announce what their reductions are going to be and make a greater effort to reduce emissions now,” Kerry stated throughout a international press briefing on Tuesday in Washington, D.C., his final because the SPEC, as he departed from the place Wednesday to reportedly be part of President Biden’s presidential re-election marketing campaign.

“Maybe that would open up the door for people to feel better about what Russia is choosing to do at this point in time,” he stated. 

BIDEN ADMIN SUED FOR HIDING JOHN KERRY’S STAFF, COORDINATION WITH ECO GROUPS

Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry speaks throughout the AIM for Climate Summit in Washington, D.C., final May. (AIM for Climate Summit)

Kerry’s remarks got here after a Russian information company reporter, Igor Naimushin, requested him about the U.S. relationship with Russia on his local weather agenda. 

“I believe that Russia has the ability to be able to make enormous changes if it really wanted to. I mean, if Russia has the ability to wage a war illegally and invade another country, they ought to be able to find the effort to be responsible on the climate issue,” Kerry stated. 

“And unfortunately, because of the actions that Russia took in an unprovoked, illegal war against another nation, we have not been engaged in discussions with Russia, sadly,” he continued. “I say “sadly” because it’s a loss for the world not to be able to have Russia acting constructively on this issue.”

During a current speech in Scotland, U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry ripped local weather change deniers, saying they’re making local weather change worse and thus threatening humanity. (Florence Lo / Pool / AFP by way of Getty Images)

The feedback have been the most recent instance of Kerry warning about the local weather change implications of war in Ukraine. 

Kerry beforehand got here below fireplace after saying {that a} key consequence of the continued Ukraine war stemming from Russia’s invasion final yr is elevated international greenhouse gasoline emissions.

“Lots of parts of the world are exacerbating the problem right now, but when you have bombs going off, and you have damage to septic tanks or to power centers, etcetera, you have an enormous release of greenhouse gas, methane, all of the family of greenhouse gasses and the result is it’s adding to the problem,” Kerry stated throughout a July 2023 interview with MSNBC.

John Kerry’s feedback are his newest about the local weather change implications of the war in Ukraine. (Foreign Press Center)

Shortly earlier than Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Kerry informed a number of media retailers that he was involved about emissions from a possible navy battle.

WHITE HOUSE SILENT AFTER JOHN KERRY LAMENTS UKRAINE WAR’S CARBON EMISSIONS

“Equally, importantly, you’re going to lose people’s focus,” Kerry informed BBC in February 2022. “You’re going to lose certainly big country attention because they will be diverted, and I think it could have a damaging impact. Hopefully [Russian President Vladimir Putin] would realize that in the northern part of his country, they used to live on 66% of a nation that was over frozen land. Now, it’s thawing.”

“I am concerned in terms of the climate efforts that a war is the last thing you need with respect to a united effort to try to deal with the climate challenge,” Kerry informed Reuters in a separate interview that very same day. “Obviously, we hope that we can compartmentalize, but it’s just made that much more difficult without any question.”

President Joe Biden and John Kerry. (Getty Images / File)

In 2021, Biden appointed Kerry to be the U.S. SPEC, a place that had not beforehand existed and didn’t require Senate approval.

Kerry traveled worldwide, attending high-profile local weather summits and diplomatic engagements in an effort to push a world transition from fossil fuels to inexperienced power alternate options.

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Kerry’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to Fox News Digital’s request for remark.

Fox News’ Thomas Catenacci contributed to this report.