Kerry: Now is time to shift to clean, independent energy sources

Reuters

4:30 JST, April 20, 2022

The conflict in Ukraine shows now is the time to shift to clean and independent energy, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said at a conference on the pacific island of Palau as he urged nations to boost the use of offshore renewable power sources.

Russia typically provides Europe with around 40% of its gas, complicating western efforts to impose economic sanctions on President Vladimir Putin’s government for Russian military actions in Ukraine.

“Now is the time to accelerate the transition to an independent and a clean energy future.

President Putin cannot control the power of the wind or the sun,” Kerry said in the opening speech to the Our Oceans conference.

The conference opened on April 13 in Palau, which has a population of just 18,000, to highlight the plight of nations on the frontline of climate change as they grapple with rising sea levels.

Nations needed to use more offshore windpower, he said. Kerry also called for the shipping industry to use more green power, saying that if the sector was a country it would be the 8th largest emitter of greenhouse gas.