The defense of the environment was, together with the war, the theme that most marked the life and politics of John Kerry: as a candidate for the White House, as a senator, as an American secretary of state, but also as a child, as he tells in this interview with Corriere della Sera. Kerry, now President Joe Biden’s special envoy for the climate, is in Rome, where he met Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, Ecological Transition Minister Roberto Cingolani and Pope Francis. At his side the inseparable David Thorne, ex ambassador to Rome, but also ex brother-in-law, companion of Yale and Vietnam: twenty-year-olds faced together the running of the bulls of Pamplona, seventy-year-old is his advisor in the race against the time of the climate emergency.
What did you talk about with Draghi?
“The urgency of the climate crisis and economic opportunities if we face it: the technological transformation will be enormous and Italy has the necessary skills and a central role during the year, in view of the G7, the G20 and above all the Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, of which you have the co-presidency ”.
You speak of opportunities for economic reconstruction after Covid. But Italy is still grappling with the pandemic. Draghi asked the United States to lift the ban on vaccine exports. It will happen?
“Yes, I believe it will happen, President Biden has said very clearly that he wants to do it and I support his desire for it to happen as soon as possible, now that we are able to produce in excess of internal needs.”
Biden is considering new sanctions against China after complaints about the production of solar panels and other green technologies with the forced labor of Uighurs in Xinjiang. Could the human rights issue derail the climate dialogue?
«I hope not, there is nothing more important than cooperation between the United States and China on the climate, but of course there are other critical issues, which I absolutely do not want to belittle, each extraordinarily important. But we are committed to trying to keep a separate climate track, which does not involve exchanges or transactions with other issues. Climate is climate, a theme in itself, we will not give in to anyone’s human rights or other aspects, which are followed by other members of the government ”.
And does China accept it?
“Yes, there are issues on which they have strong opinions, but they have declared that one of the areas on which we can cooperate is the climate”.
His approach to Iran comes to mind: when as secretary of state he negotiated the nuclear deal he negotiated on a separate track from other hot topics.
“Correct”.
Do you think we can return to the agreement with Iran? In addition to reducing the risks of a war or a bomb, this would expand the natural gas market for which Italy depends on Russia, with considerable influence of the latter on Europe.
“I won’t talk about the nuclear deal: the negotiations are underway and I don’t want to say anything that could disturb them, and besides, it’s not my portfolio. Minister Cingolani showed me the maps of the pipelines, existing and under discussion. But beware: natural gas is still a fossil fuel, composed of about 87% methane, when you burn it you create CO2, and when you move it there can be very dangerous leaks. We have to face a much broader discourse on how quickly we can move to an economy based on clean energy that in the end doesn’t even depend on natural gas.
What about nuclear power?
“The Biden administration is in favor of evaluating its possible benefits: from fourth generation nuclear reactors to nuclear batteries.”
The German Constitutional Court has declared unconstitutional a law to reduce CO2 emissions by 55% by 2030 because it is “not ambitious enough” and has ruled that climate protection is a fundamental right.
“Absolutely. It is a very important sentence, and I congratulate the German government for having decided to immediately set a new date for their production and zero emissions targets ».
Is it difficult to regain credibility after Trump ditches the Paris Agreement you signed? What if he returned to the White House in 4 years?
«It should be remembered that when President Trump abandoned the agreement, the governors of 37 American states and many companies and mayors continued to respect it. If Trump or someone like him returns, he will not be able to undo the progress made in the world. It may harm America, but trillions of dollars will have been invested: the private sector moves very quickly, it is a never-before-seen global market that no politician can stop. And it would be very unpopular because new jobs are emerging ».
Is the climate what you would like to make an impact on?
“I’ve been dealing with it since I was a child. My mother woke me up early in the morning, took me for long walks in nature, was always an environmentalist, recycled and loved bird watching, had a great influence on me. In 1962, when I was in my first year of college, Rachel Carson’s book came out Silent spring, which inspired the activism of my generation. Back from Vietnam, the first thing I did was participate in organizing the first Earth Day. At eight you don’t think about the legacy you want to leave to the world, you just think that you want to make it better, that you can’t stand and watch as the world commits suicide… or rather, while irresponsible man’s behavior kills him ».
With the recent trip to China, do you think you have convinced President Xi to start decarbonization in 2024 instead of 2030?
“We count on it. But it’s not just this. If the world finds unity in Glasgow and keeps alive the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees and if it aims for net zero emissions by 2050… then, guys, it will be worth it. “
May 14, 2021 (change May 14, 2021 | 23:15)
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