Washington (November 12, 2021) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, released the following statement as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) concludes today after 12 days of international climate negotiations.  

“COP26 is ending, but our climate work continues in greater urgency. The United States and other countries who have contributed the most to the climate crisis must be leading efforts to do the most to reverse its fast-acting course.

“I am proud that the United States has reestablished its global leadership in combatting the climate crisis, and that the draft COP26 agreement for the first time takes historic steps to phase out fossil fuels. I am pleased that President Biden has made historic pledges to double the United States investment in climate financing and solidified international commitments to cut methane emissions by 2030. I welcome the joint commitment from the United States and China to cooperate on efforts to combat climate change, and I look forward to our work together to enact ambitious initiatives to limit and reduce emissions. Climate commitments are a powerful tool of diplomacy. Yet, it is not enough simply to take these important steps; business as usual and the status quo are death sentences. We must push climate action by leaps and bounds. That comes from making climate central to all policymaking domestically, promoting justice for those bearing the brunt of this crisis and ensuring polluters pay, and leading by example with ambition, intersectionality, and conviction.” 

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