Kerry: Climate Change Will be 'Front and Center' in All Diplomatic Efforts

Kerry: Climate Change Will be 'Front and Center' in All Diplomatic Efforts

Secretary of State John Kerry vowed that climate change will be “front and center in all our diplomatic efforts” during a speech before Climate Week NYC’s opening event on Monday. 

“This [climate change] is an enormous challenge, and this is why the United States is prepared to take the lead in order to bring other nations to the table.  As the Secretary of State, I promise you, I am personally committed to making sure that this is front and center in all our diplomatic efforts,” he stated.  And, “I’ve also sent a directive to every single one of our 275 missions, embassies, [and] consulates, that the chiefs of mission are to put this issue on the front burner in all of our interventions with the host countries, wherever they may be.”

Kerry also argued that “the United States is not able, this may be stating the obvious, to do this alone,” and discussed negotiations with China and India, adding there was “significant progress” made in climate negotiations with China. 

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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