The empty chairs at the U.N. climate summit

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Sep 20, 2023 View in browser   By Jason Plautz Presented by ExxonMobil U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the 78th session of the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday. | Mary Altaffer/AP Photo United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres made one demand of world leaders in the run-up to today’s special climate summit in New York: Bring new and credible plans for averting the worst outcomes of a warming planet, or stay home. Guterres didn’t sugarcoat the stakes as he opened the conference. “Humanity has opened the gates to hell,” he said. But leaders of some of the world’s biggest spewers of heat-trapping industrial emissions weren’t there to hear the warnings, including President Joe Biden and heads of government from China, Russia, France and Great Britain, writes Sara Schonhardt. Biden had outlined the case for increasing global ambitions to cut carbon dioxide emissions in a speech before the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday. But Biden’s absence at today’s summit — attributed to his busy schedule — raised questions about the capacity of industrialized nations to ratchet up their climate efforts. Biden’s climate envoy, John Kerry, attended today’s summit in his absence. And California Gov. Gavin Newsom took his turn. “This climate crisis is a fossil fuel crisis,” he told the room of leaders hand-picked to attend. In the room Guterres is calling for a Climate Solidarity Pact that would call on major polluters to make “extra efforts to cut emissions” and assist emerging economies, as well as an Acceleration Agenda to speed up the progress in developing countries toward meeting net zero. Germany and the European Union touted their contributions to a $100 billion pledge to help developing countries address climate change. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU is also working on building a coalition of countries that would triple renewable energy and double annual energy savings by 2030, to be announced at U.N. climate talks later this year. Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa, the prime minister of Samoa, speaking for the Alliance of Small Island States, underscored the need for money and technical help from the developed world. Sunak’s splitscreen British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, meanwhile, sucked some of the air out of the room by announcing his country’s intention to delay a ban on new gasoline and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035 and to ease off a plan to replace gas boilers with electric heat pumps. Sunak, speaking at a press conference in London, called the decision a “more pragmatic and realistic approach to net zero” and said he was “unequivocal that we will meet our international agreements.” But the split screen with the climate conference was glaring amid a frank discussion about the threats of rising emissions due to burning so much oil, natural gas and coal. “We are in the final stages of what actions are needed to preserve this planet,” said Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley. “And regrettably, I'm not sure that everyone is getting it. For more coverage of the U.N. meeting, check out POLITICO's UNGA Playbook.   It's Wednesday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Jason Plautz. Arianna will be back soon! Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to jplautz@eenews.net.   A message from ExxonMobil: The world needs ways to reduce carbon emissions. At ExxonMobil, we’re working on solutions in our own operations – like carbon capture and clean energy from hydrogen – that could also help in other industries like manufacturing, commercial transportation and power generation, too. Helping deliver heavy industry with low emissions.   Listen to today’s POLITICO Energy podcast Today in POLITICO Energy’s podcast: Corbin Hiar dissects the gaps in the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED certification that are putting the newest generation of climate-friendly buildings in jeopardy.   GROWING IN THE GOLDEN STATE: POLITICO California is growing, reinforcing our role as the indispensable insider source for reporting on politics, policy and power. From the corridors of power in Sacramento and Los Angeles to the players and innovation hubs in Silicon Valley, we're your go-to for navigating the political landscape across the state. Exclusive scoops, essential daily newsletters, unmatched policy reporting and insights — POLITICO California is your key to unlocking Golden State politics. LEARN MORE.     Power Centers Florida Gov. and Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis talks about his energy plan in Midland, Texas, on Wednesday. | DeSantis campaign/YouTube DeSantis outlines 'energy dominance' agenda Florida Gov. and Republican presidential contender Ron DeSantis set a goal of cutting national average gasoline prices to $2 per gallon in 2025 if he’s elected, reports Timothy Cama. In a speech in Midland, Texas, DeSantis vowed to repeal President Joe Biden’s environmental agenda and make America the “dominant energy producer in the entire world.” DeSantis also claimed humans are “safer than ever” from the effects of climate change, less than a year after his state was hit by the deadly Hurricane Ian — and as the toll from extreme weather events increases around the world, writes Kelly Garrity. White House does a Corps workout The White House will launch a program to employ more than 20,000 young people to work on clean energy and climate resilience, writes Robin Bravender. The creation of the American Climate Corps — modeled after the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps — has long been a priority for Democrats. The Biden administration, however, did not detail how the program will be structured or funded. Disaster funding caught in House spending mess Much-needed disaster aid is collateral damage in House Republicans’ dithering over a spending bill, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund set to go broke soon without congressional action. Emma Dumain reports that some Republicans from disaster-stricken districts are grumbling that the party doesn’t have a plan to boost that funding, with or without a spending deal.   A message from ExxonMobil:   In Other News Plastics war: Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who funded campaigns to shutter coal and gas plants, is extending his climate work to block plastics and chemical production. Grocery list: Global olive oil prices hit a record $8,900 a ton as extreme weather threatened growing conditions and diminished supplies.   A message from ExxonMobil: Heavy industry accounts for nearly 30% of global carbon emissions. For these businesses, setting and achieving meaningful carbon-reduction goals can be complex. At ExxonMobil, we’ve been working on reducing our own carbon emissions. At our Baytown plant, one of the world’s largest integrated refining and petrochemical operations, we’re working to deploy hydrogen power and carbon capture to reduce emissions by up to 30%. Now, we’re taking solutions like these to others in heavy industry. Using our technologies, we can help these businesses create a plan to make similar reductions. And together, we can deliver a lower-emissions future. Let's deliver.   Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. A worker installs building insulation. | Erik Mclean/Unsplash.com The Department of Energy will spend $400 million to help states adopt new building codes that cut energy and water use. New offshore wind turbines could spur high-powered transmission lines and bolster the nation's congested electric grid, according to a Biden administration draft action plan on wind transmission. The White House is making sure its work to help historically disadvantaged communities is "legally durable" and lasts beyond this administration. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.   GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here.       Follow us on Twitter Arianna Skibell @ariannaskibell   Follow us

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