Vice President Kamala Harris is set to attend the United Nations’ climate change negotiations, COP28, in Dubai this week, according to a White House announcement. Harris will be the highest-ranking U.S. representative among the numerous lawmakers and agency officials participating in the nearly two-week summit, featuring speeches from global leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Despite President Joe Biden not attending the conference in person, the White House emphasized Harris’s participation as a continuation of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to global climate action. The summit will address critical issues, including the transition away from fossil fuels and the development of a new international fund to address irreversible climate damage in developing countries.
One key focus of this year’s negotiations is the “global stocktake,” assessing the progress of the 196 parties to the 2015 Paris climate agreement in meeting their goal of limiting global temperature increases to well below 2 degrees Celsius compared to the pre-Industrial Revolution era. Many nations are reportedly falling behind their targets. The results of this stocktake are expected to drive calls from countries like the U.S. for more aggressive plans to reduce emissions in their upcoming climate action strategies due in 2025.
In a statement, White House press secretary Kirsten Allen highlighted the administration’s commitment to bold global action on the climate crisis. U.S. Special Climate Envoy John Kerry underscored the importance of the global stocktake being candid, strong, and visionary, providing an honest assessment of progress since the Paris Agreement.
The summit’s agenda reflects the international community’s dedication to addressing climate change and fostering cooperation to achieve climate goals.
COMMENTS