US Joins UN Group Of Friends On Climate And Security - Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th April, 2021) The United States has joined the UN Group of Friends on Climate and Security, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda-Thomas Greenfield said on Thursday.

"Today, I'm thrilled to be standing with my colleagues from Nauru and Germany to announce the United States has officially joined the UN Group of Friends on Climate and Security," Thomas-Greenfield told reporters at the United Nations.

Thomas-Greenfield said that in the past year, likewise other parts of the world that have seen droughts and rising sea levels, the United States has experienced extreme wildfires, hurricanes, storms and a blackout.

"It doesn't matter where you live. Climate change is a challenge for every person in every nation and on every single continent," she said.

The US envoy stressed that together with other nations, the United States can do its utmost to address climate emergency and stemming from it security threats.

The Co-chair of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security, German Ambassador Christoph Heusgen, said the members of the group were "extremely happy" to witness the US Joe Biden's administration return towards leadership on climate action.

"We have seen the old US administration not being a driving force," Heusgen pointed out. "To have the US back as a driving force is key."

Shortly after taking office on January 20, Biden re-joined the Paris climate agreement, reversing his predecessor Donald Trump's decision to leave the accord.

The UN's group of friends, which now has over 50 members, was initiated in 2018 by Germany and Nauru to facilitate cooperation among states to develop solutions for the impact of climate change on security policy.