MOSCOW — On Monday, US climate envoy John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed confidence that climate talks may serve as a springboard for reducing growing tensions between the two countries.
Russia “attaches tremendous significance” to climate change concerns, according to Lavrov, and will continue to collaborate with other governments on these matters.
Kerry’s travel to Moscow, according to Russia’s top diplomat, sends “an essential and good signal for the development of our bilateral ties, for reducing tensions, and for creating meaningful and professional work in areas where we can find a common denominator.”
Kerry stated that he believes there is “space” for Russia and the United States to “collaborate on this (climate change concerns) and perhaps open up some greater chances on other matters, as we do on this.”
Climate change, according to the US source, is as serious a threat as any the two men have previously discussed, such as nuclear weapons.
The United States is second only to China in terms of climate-damaging coal and petroleum fume emissions. However, due to its reliance on coal for electricity generation, Russia, the world’s fourth-largest economy and population, is a disproportionately large contributor to climate change.
Kerry, the Obama administration’s former Secretary of State, is urging other countries to agree to ambitious carbon reduction targets ahead of a United Nations global climate meeting later this year.
Kerry’s visit coincides with a spat between the two countries over ransomware attacks claimed on Russian criminals, placing Biden under internal pressure to punish Russia for the hacking.
Despite occasionally tense ties on other issues, Biden’s administration has sought climate collaboration with US adversaries and competitors.