Kerry: U.S. backs proposed fossil fuel drawdown

U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said Wednesday that the U.S. will back proposals to phase out the use of “unabated” fossil fuels at the ongoing COP27 climate summit.

“It has to be unabated oil and gas,” Kerry told Bloomberg in Egypt Wednesday. “Phase down, unabated, over time. The time is a question, but ‘phase down’ is the language we supported.” The “unabated” distinction will open the door to continual operation of fossil fuel developments that offset their greenhouse gas emissions with technology like carbon capture.

The Indian delegation to the conference has called for phase-down plans to be expanded beyond coal to other fossil fuels like oil and gas, and Kerry’s remarks make the U.S. one of the wealthiest nations to throw its support to the idea. The European Union and the United Kingdom announced their backing Tuesday. However, the proposal is likely to encounter severe opposition from major oil producing nations, like Saudi Arabia.

Kerry’s comments come after he also expressed U.S. support for a “loss and damages” fund, or reparations to nations on the front line of the impacts of climate change. Affected nations have called for the fund’s creation at multiple climate summits over the years without success, but draft language on such a fund was released Tuesday.

Both the fossil fuel phase-down and loss and damages would have to be agreed upon by all participating nations after what is likely to be a round of intense negotiations. Kerry expressed doubt in his interview with Bloomberg that the parties would be able to agree on a single financial model in the time left from the multiple options in the draft.

“You might be able to have a list of options, but you can’t resolve to have only one thing in a matter of three days,” he told the publication. “You really have to sort through how this is going to work best for all the countries.”

The Hill has reached out to Kerry’s office for comment.