Who is John Kerry, the US Climate Envoy to Meet China?

The constant rise in the temperature is a new sign of climate change. John Kerry the US climate envoy on the second day of talks in Beijing met with the ruling Communist Party’s head of foreign relations Wang Yi. He told him about Biden’s hope to “achieve efforts together that can make a significant difference to the world.”

Who is John Kerry?

John Kerry is an American politician and diplomat who currently serves as the United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. He was born on December 11, 1943, in Aurora, Colorado. Kerry has had a long and prominent career in public service. He was a United States Senator representing Massachusetts from 1985 to 2013, and he ran as the Democratic Party's nominee for President of the United States in 2004.

As the U.S. Climate Envoy, Kerry is responsible for representing the United States on international climate issues and coordinating the country's efforts to address climate change. In this role, he plays a significant part in shaping U.S. climate policy, advocating for global cooperation, and working towards implementing sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. Kerry has been actively involved in international climate negotiations, promoting renewable energy, and raising awareness about the urgency of climate action.

John Kerry: Political Career

Kerry’s political career started with a failed congressional run in 1972. A decade later, the newly minted lawyer and Assistant District Attorney won the Lieutenant Governor election on the Democratic ticket with Michael Dukakis. In 1984, he was elected as the senator of Massachusetts, a seat he held until 2012. His style of leadership can be termed empowering, focused, and goal-oriented. As one of the most liberal senators in the Democrat party, Kerry has always been a vocal supporter of women’s rights. His keen focus on the environment landed him the role of becoming America’s first climate envoy.

Kerry’s many accomplishments as a distinguished statesman and top diplomat include the 2014 Palestine-Isreal Peace Talks, the successful negotiation of the Iran nuclear deal, and the Paris Climate Agreement, and raising awareness about the threat of climate change.

A chronological list of various bills and resolutions sponsored by Kerry follows.

1. The 100th Congress passed a concurrent resolution condemning North Korea's support for terrorist activities after amending it in the Senate.

2. The 100th Congress agreed to a resolution concerning the declassification of documents, files, and other materials related to POWs and MIAs without making any amendments.

3. The President signed a bill authorizing appropriations for the National Sea Grant College Program Act and other purposes.

4. In the 102nd Congress, a bill was referred to the committee to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, aiming to prohibit certain transactions concerning managed accounts.

5. The 103rd Congress enacted a bill to authorize appropriations for the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and improve the program to reduce incidental taking of marine mammals during commercial fishing operations, among other purposes. It became public law #103-238.

6. During the 103rd Congress, a bill was referred to the committee, seeking to amend the Small Business Act to enhance business development opportunities for socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.

7. The 105th Congress passed a bill without objection, designating a portion of the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

8. In the 106th Congress, the bill to amend the Small Business Act with respect to the women's business center program became Public Law #106-165.

9. A bill was introduced in the 106th Congress to authorize the Small Business Administration to provide financial and business development assistance to military reservists' small businesses, and for other purposes. It was referred to the committee.

10. The 107th Congress ordered the bill to amend the Small Business Act with respect to the microloan program and other purposes to be reported.

11. The 107th Congress passed a bill to reauthorize the Small Business Technology Transfer Program, which became Public Law #107-50.

12. The 107th Congress referred a bill to provide assistance to small business concerns adversely impacted by the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and for other purposes to the committee.

13. In the 108th Congress, a bill was referred to the committee to provide emergency assistance to nonfarm-related small business concerns that suffered substantial economic harm from drought.

14. The National Taxpayers Union Foundation described the Building and Upgrading Infrastructure for Long-Term Development (BUILD) Act as its "most expensive bill of the Week" when it was introduced in the Senate in 2011.

John Kerry: Net Worth

Kerry, who possesses a substantial net worth of $250 million, is regarded as one of the wealthiest U.S. senators serving in Congress. Besides his spouse's assets, Kerry's personal wealth comes from his ownership of at least four trusts inherited from family members, including his mother, Rosemary Forbes Kerry, who passed away in 2002. Forbes magazine estimated that if he were elected, and his wife's Heinz family assets were taken into account, Kerry would have ranked as the third-richest U.S. president in history, adjusting for inflation. Nevertheless, the couple's prenuptial agreement maintains their financial assets as separate entities.

According to Kerry's financial disclosure form for 2011, his personal assets were valued between $230 million to $320 million, encompassing the assets of his spouse and dependent children. In 2017, he acquired an 18-acre property in Chilmark, Massachusetts, at the cost of $11.75 million.

Similar to the U.S. and Europe, China has been experiencing unprecedented periods of extreme heat, which have endangered crops and led cities to utilize Cold War-era bomb shelters as heat refuges for residents.

U.S. lawmakers have criticized China for not making more significant reductions in fossil fuel emissions that contribute to climate change. China contends that it is still a developing economy with lower pollution per capita, seeking exemption from the climate standards applied to developed Western economies.

Despite the criticism, China has committed to capping carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. The U.S. and the European Union have called on China to adopt more ambitious targets for emissions reduction.