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On Monday, Barack Obama expressed confidence at UN climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland that the Biden administration will ultimately get its $555 billion climate package through Congress. He also alleged US rivals China and Russia for a dangerous lack of urgency in cutting their own climate-wrecking emissions. Obama said, “When it comes to climate, time really is running out. However, there has been progressing since the historic 2015 Paris climate agreement. We are nowhere near where we need to be”. His comments came as conference leaders acknowledged that many key sticking points exist after a week of talks. A trust gap between rich and poor nations on climate change issues emerged when the negotiations went through a check of what’s been accomplished and what’s left to be done. Most of the developing countries used versions of the word disappointing when leaders talked about the progress to date.

The UN climate conference COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland marks the former American president’s first speech since he helped deliver the triumph of the 2015 Paris climate accord. The world nations are committed to cutting fossil fuel and agricultural emissions to keep the Earth’s warming below catastrophic levels of 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit. President Biden put America back in as soon as he took office this year but US efforts at fighting climate change were set back years by the Trump move. A long-time observer of climate talks with E3G, Alden Meyer said, “1.5 C is on life support now, it is in ICU”. The appearance of Obama on the sidelines of the talks sought to remind governments of the elation that surrounded the Paris accord. Obama urged them to announce more immediate and concrete steps to put the 2015 deal into action.

Barack Obama said, “The US is back and in moving more boldly. The US is not alone. I wasn’t real happy about that. There are times where I feel discouraged. There are times where the future seems somewhat bleak. There are times where I am doubtful that humanity can get its act together before it’s too late. We can’t afford hopelessness. It will set the United States on course to meet its new climate targets. It was particularly discouraging to see the leaders of two of the world’s largest emitters, China and Russia, declined to even attend the proceedings, and their national plans reflect what appears to be a dangerous lack of urgency. All of us have a part to play. All of us have work to do. All of us have sacrificed to make on climate. There is a history of broken promises and unfulfilled commitments by developed countries”.