US Energy Secretary: Every country must double down on climate change efforts

US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan for hosting the climate conference and emphasized the importance of annual meetings to assess progress and strengthen clean energy ambitions.

According to Report, at the COP29 ministerial meeting on energy initiatives in Baku, Granholm noted that despite some uncertainty surrounding US climate policy, Washington continues to move forward with the clean energy transition.

She said seven years ago, the United States withdrew from the Paris Agreement, and its partners around the world united to lead where the country did not," she said.

Granholm noted, however, that states, cities, and businesses have stepped up to fill the void left by the absence of federal policy, supporting the US climate movement through local-level actions.

According to her, thanks to this strategy, the US is expected to add over 60 MW of clean energy to its grid in 2024, more than double the amount ever added in a single year.

She noted that the United States has invested over $1.5 trillion in clean technologies and infrastructure as a result of this industrial strategy, with businesses and consumers investing $6 for every dollar of federal investment.

She added that this process will continue, with similar historic growth seen globally. The world is now investing twice as much in clean energy as in fossil fuels, Granholm said.

She stressed that the global fight for the climate is being waged through the efforts of all countries. Therefore, regardless of what happens with US federal climate leadership over the next four years, every country must double down on this fight, as demonstrated by today's commitments, she said.

In the spirit of COP, she called for tripling renewable energy production and achieving the goal of 1,500 gigawatts of energy storage capacity. Granholm expressed hope that G20 leaders will set such a storage target next week in Rio, enabling the realization of the renewable energy goal.