An online global summit's mood at its opening on Monday was perhaps best reflected at the sight of U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres clearly beaming after John Kerry, the new U.S. presidential climate envoy, pledged to restore American leadership in the fight against global warming.
Guterres had kicked off the Climate Adaptation Summit 2021 — hosted by the Netherlands to accelerate global aid for dealing with inevitable climate effects — by urging all donor nations and multilateral banks to donate half their climate financing for more adaptation and resilience among developing countries. "Support for adaptation and resilience is a moral, financial, economic and social imperative," he said.
