John Kerry on the Upcoming Climate Summit

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: We have just seen these awful pictures from China, the subways flooded in some areas, and people up to their necks literally in water. It’s terrifying. Your reaction to that, in the context of what you’re trying to achieve, and what you hope China, as the biggest polluter, might be motivated to do?

JOHN KERRY, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE: Well, my reaction to that is horror, as I think it is for everybody in the world, but not just there. In Germany, Belgium, in the United States, in California, and fires, people all around the planet are beginning to feel the impacts that were predicted years ago by the scientists. So there’s no surprise in this. But it’s a — it right now, hopefully, will create an urgency, a level of engagement that nations need to provide in order to get the job done. We are not getting enough done. We have to raise ambition in terms of our reduction of emissions, in our efforts to try to hold the temperature increase of the Earth to a low enough level, which is 1.5, or as close as we can get to that. And China is doing a lot, actually. I mean, China has already — it’s one of the — it’s the largest producer of solar panels, one of the largest deployers of alternative renewable energy. But — and there is a but — but China is still using coal-fired power plants and planning to bring more online. And it’s increases in emissions threaten the success and progress of a lot of other countries that are currently trying to hold the Earth’s temperature down. So, we hope China will join us in this effort. China is a partner. China was a partner in Paris. We really are looking forward to working with China to have a partnership that does what we need to do as we go to Glasgow.

AMANPOUR: So, let me ask you, then, because you mention the other countries. And, actually, I know you say it’s predicted and it’s not a surprise, but a lot of people were surprised. People don’t look at Oregon, which is — has rain and cold temperatures, as an inferno, and the others you mentioned. Look at Germany. More than 100 people died in Europe in these terrible, catastrophic floods. The fact that this is now manifest on a daily, life-affecting way in rich countries, do you think that that will change the impetus for the policies required? Because its policies. It’s not just recycling plastic bags. It’s policies by government that are required. Will it add impetus, do you think, or not?

KERRY: Yes, I believe it will, no question about it. But most of those countries have already adopted pretty aggressive plans for reducing emissions. But, hopefully, it will create the extra urgency to embrace even higher ambition as we head towards this U.N. conference in Glasgow.