President Joe Biden said on Monday that global warming going above 1.5 degrees Celsius in the next 10 to 20 years is scarier than nuclear war, as there is no way back from that.
Speaking at a press conference in Vietnam, Biden said this trip was a historic moment to demonstrate the US leadership and commitment to the Indo-Pacific region and to solving the challenges that matter most to the world, such as climate change.
“The existential threat facing humanity is not nuclear war, although that is a real threat. It’s global warming. It’s global warming above 1.5 degrees Celsius in the next 10 to 20 years. That’s even more frightening because there’s no way back from that,” Biden said.
Biden said climate change poses a greater threat than nuclear war because it could lead to mass migration, famine, conflict and irreversible damage to the planet.
He also talked about the importance of supporting less wealthy nations to cope with the climate crisis. He said the US is a Pacific nation and is not going anywhere.
“We have a moral obligation, in my view, to do everything we can to help those nations who are in need and who are suffering. And we will do that. We are a Pacific nation. We always have been. We always will be. We’re not going anywhere,” Biden said.
Biden’s remarks came after he met with leaders of Australia, India and Japan at the first in-person Quad summit in Washington last week, where they pledged to work together on climate action, pandemic response and regional security.
Biden also reaffirmed his partnership with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in a joint statement on Monday, where they shared a vision for a free, open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific region and their commitment to addressing the climate crisis together.
“We share a vision for a free, open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific region where all countries respect and uphold international rules-based order, human rights and fundamental freedoms. We also share an unwavering commitment to addressing the climate crisis and advancing our shared goal of net-zero emissions by 2050,” Biden and Ardern said.
Biden is expected to attend the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow next month, where he will urge other world leaders to take bolder action on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, as agreed in the Paris Agreement.
Relevant articles:
– Biden: Global warming ‘even more frightening’ than nuclear war, CNBC, Published Mon, Sep 11 2023
– Biden Says Climate Change Poses Greater Threat Than Nuclear War, Bloomberg Green, Published Mon, Sep 10 2023
– Biden says climate change is bigger threat to humanity than nuclear war, Fox News, Published Feb 1, 2023