Remarks by Vice President Harris Delivering the U.S. Statement at COP28
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. It is my honor to be with the distinguished leaders who are here today.
Two years ago, President Joe Biden stood onstage at COP26 and made a declaration of ambition: The United States of America will once again be a global leader in the fight against the climate crisis.
Since then, the United States has turned ambition into action. President Biden and I made the largest climate investment in the history of our country and, some have said, the world: roughly a trillion dollars over the next 10 years.
As a result, today, across the United States, we are building and expanding hundreds of solar panel, wind turbine, electric vehicle, and battery manufacturing plants; we are laying thousands of miles of high-voltage transmission lines to deliver clean energy to every corner of our nation; and we are lowering emissions not only in energy and transportation but in industry, agriculture, buildings, and construction.
We are also investing in resilience and adaptation to restore our coastlines, wetlands, and forests and to make communities more resilient to climate-driven extreme weather.
We have also placed equity at the center of all of our work, investing in marginalized communities, which are often hardest hit by extreme weather and bear a disproportionate burden from fossil fuel pollution.
Globally, the United States is a leader in the effort to expand international climate finance. This year alone, we have increased our contributions to over $9.5 billion, which puts us on track to reach President Biden’s ambitious $11 billion goal by 2024.
Today, I am also proud to announce a new $3 billion pledge to the Green Climate Fund, which helps developing countries invest in resilience, clean energy, and nature-based solutions.
Today, we are demonstrating through action how the world can and must meet this crisis.
This is a pivotal moment. Our action collectively or, worse, our inaction will impact billions of people for decades to come.
For as much as we have accomplished, there is still so much more work to do. And continued progress will not be possible without a fight.
Around the world, there are those who seek to slow or stop our progress. Leaders who deny climate science, delay climate action, and spread misinformation. Corporations that greenwash climate inaction and lobby for billions of dollars in fossil fuel subsidies.
In the face of their resistance and in the context of this moment, we must do more.
In order to keep our critical 1.5 degree-Celsius goal within reach, we must have the ambition to meet this moment, to accelerate our ongoing work, increase our investments, and lead with courage and conviction.
Even given the challenges we face, I am optimistic. With ambition and bold action, I know we will build a cleaner, healthier, and more prosperous world for this generation and for generations to come.
Thank you. (Applause.)
