Washington/Sputnik: The United States is falling behind China in clean energy investments and can miss an opportunity to shape the world’s future in accordance with its interests, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, according to excerpts of his speech on Monday.
"But right now, we’re falling behind. China is the largest producer and exporter of solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, and electric vehicles. It holds nearly a third of the world’s renewable energy patents. If we don’t catch up, America will miss the chance to shape the world’s climate future in a way that reflects our interests and values, and we’ll lose out on countless jobs for the American people," Blinken said.
Climate change is a test of the US ability to lead the world on the addressing the climate crisis and if Washington fails it, not much of the world will be left, Blinken also said.
The Secretary of State also underscored that climate change exacerbates all security challenges affecting the US today.
The United States will challenge other countries practices in case they do not align with the American ones, including reliance on coal for a significant amount of energy supplies or investing in new coal mines, Blinken said.
According to Blinken, every country faces two challenges - reduction of carbon emissions and preparation for climate change impacts.
President Joe Biden invited 40 world leaders to take part in a virtual climate summit on April 22-23, including President of Russia Vladimir Putin who is scheduled to speak at the forum on Thursday.
