John Kerry Announces U.S. Energy Compact at UN Event
Special Presidential Envoy Kerry showcased the Biden-Harris Administration’s climate and clean energy agenda.
The U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry participated in the UN High-Level Dialogue on Energy and officially announced the release of the U.S. Energy Compact.
This compact highlights a number of voluntary commitments and actions by the U.S. government to advance progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal Seven on Affordable and Clean Energy, consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement and the ultimate achievement of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
According to a statement issued on September 24 by the U.S. Department of State, these commitments demonstrate U.S. leadership and aim to encourage other countries to develop their own compacts in support of these goals.
This year’s UN High-Level Dialogue on Energy was the first to focus on energy in 40 years, and Special Presidential Envoy Kerry showcased the Biden-Harris Administration’s climate and clean energy agenda. President Biden has set an ambitious target under the Paris Agreement to slash emissions by 50-52 percent below 2005 levels in 2030.
He has also set a goal to shift to 100 percent carbon emission-free electricity by 2035. Abroad, the United States is investing in clean energy transitions in emerging economies around the world, including through ambitious initiatives such as Build Back Better World, to forestall a surge in global emissions and promote economic development through modern and clean energy.
The U.S. Energy Compact brings together key initiatives from this agenda. It encompasses a series of ambitious efforts from across the U.S. government, including the Departments of State, Energy, and Transportation; the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Power Africa Initiative; and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).
The U.S. Energy Compact, and others that were announced at the UN High-Level Dialogue on Energy, will build momentum toward a successful 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Glasgow, United Kingdom, by advancing the global clean energy transition at the heart of addressing the climate crisis.
