U.S. and Russia climate envoys agree to work together

The two countries vowed to work together on Arctic climate issues, according to a joint statement.

By Reuters July 16, 2021
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov welcomes U.S. climate envoy John Kerry during their meeting in Moscow, on July 12, 2021. (Dimitar Dilkoff / Pool via Reuters)

MOSCOW — Climate envoys from the United States and Russia agreed to work together to tackle greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency and Arctic climate problems, a joint statement issued on Thursday said.

The statement from U.S. climate envoy John Kerry and Russian counterpart Ruslan Edelgeriyev said they will work together on a range of issues including satellite monitoring of emissions, reducing emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas methane, and climate finance.

Kerry, while on a visit to Moscow spoke on Wednesday to Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone.

Kerry also told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow that he wanted to set out proposals to urgently try to get the two big greenhouse gas emitters working together to battle global warming.

Reporting by Polina Devitt in Moscow and Timothy Gardner in Washington.