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GLASGOW — Former President Barack Obama, who helped sign the Paris climate agreement six years ago, showed up at the climate summit here to reassure a global audience that officials are sticking to the cause despite American political divisions.
“Politics in the US is not always easy,” he said. “Perhaps my successor wasn’t as interested in climate science as I was, it seems.”
His successor, Donald J. Trump, Pulled the USA out of Paris agreement and more than 100 solved Mr. Obama’s environmental regulations. The Obama administration’s original goals for reducing planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions are still unmet, and it’s unclear exactly how the new goals set by President Biden will be met, given the obstacles they face in Congress.
“It’s one of those things about democracy,” said Obama, who didn’t take questions from journalists. “You can’t always find your way.”
Mr. Obama’s ascent to the summit was met with great enthusiasm, as a large crowd of delegates gathered for a glimpse of the former president and cheered loudly as he entered the hall.
Mr. Obama noted that the United States, the country that historically pumped the most greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, was the target of critics at the summit. He argued, however, that the criticisms against members of the American delegation were unfounded.
“Sometimes it will feel like the United States and some other countries are not always acting as fast as we would like or are not meeting commitments,” he said. “It’s not because it hasn’t been tried by the people who work here.”
Mr. Obama’s agenda has been carefully curated. He first spoke to the leaders of several island nations feeling the acute effects of climate change, stressed the need for money to help vulnerable countries adapt to a warmer planet, and described himself as an “island boy”.
He was scheduled to attend a session behind closed doors with a bloc of countries calling itself the High Ambition Coalition. The bi-weekly summit day, the 26th session of the United Nations Conference of the Parties to the climate change convention or COP26, concludes with a roundtable meeting with a group of young people advocating climate action.
But before they even spoke, there was backlash from some young activists who criticized the United States for not paying its fair share of helping poor countries tackle climate change.
Activist Vanessa Nakate wrote on Twitter that she was 13 when the former president promised that countries of the global north would provide $100 billion a year in climate finance by 2020. This money has not yet materialized. “The USA did not keep this promise, it will cost lives in Africa” tweeted. “You want to meet #COP26 youth. We want action.”
This is a stream through processes: young activists angry for not acting swiftly to former presidents and prime ministers of major polluting countries to reduce emissions and help those most vulnerable to climate disasters.
Mr Obama said on Monday that wealthy industrialized countries like the United States have an “additional burden” to help countries that are at the forefront of climate impacts. The United States is under pressure to increase financing to help countries adapt to the climate risks that are already upon them. The Biden administration has pledged $11.4 billion in climate aid over the next few years, and roughly a quarter of that is for adaptation, but that money still needs congressional approval.
“We who live in the big rich countries, who are helping to expedite the problem, have the added burden of making sure we work with and help those who are less responsible, less capable and more vulnerable. This is the coming crisis,” said Mr. Obama.
For decades, many of the most vulnerable countries have sought compensation from wealthy industrialized countries as part of what they call a loss and damage fund. The United States and other rich countries have long been reluctant to accept anything that opens them up to responsibility.
The Marshall Islands will need “tens of billions” of dollars for adaptation, including upgrading their land and removing their people from danger, he said.
Mr. Obama nodded to the youth’s anger and at one point commended them for their ability to “tell the truth to power”.
“I think we old people, gray haired or hairless types, sometimes make excuses,” he said.
He took care to note that if the promises made so far were kept, they could significantly slow the temperature rise.
“This is real progress, not enough, but it’s getting us in the right direction,” he said. “This requires ongoing activism in between.”
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