President Biden’s public schedule for Tuesday, December 13th 2022:
| 9:00 AM | The President receives the Presidential Daily Briefing The White House Closed Press |
| 1:45 PM | In-Town Pool Call Time The White House In-Town Pool |
| 2:15 PM | Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre James S. Brady Press Briefing Room |
| 3:30 PM | The President will host a ceremony on the South Lawn to sign the Respect for Marriage Act; The Vice President, The First Lady, and The Second Gentleman South Lawn Open Press [RSVP here by 7:00 AM] |
Press briefing: YouTube says it’s scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. D.C., time.
President Biden has tweeted…
It’s 3 tweets so far for Tuesday. One is directly related to his remarks this afternoon.
Respect for Marriage Act (H.R.8404) summary:
This bill provides statutory authority for same-sex and interracial marriages.
Specifically, the bill replaces provisions that define, for purposes of federal law, marriage as between a man and a woman and spouse as a person of the opposite sex with provisions that recognize any marriage between two individuals that is valid under state law. (The Supreme Court held that the current provisions were unconstitutional in United States v. Windsor in 2013.)
The bill also replaces provisions that do not require states to recognize same-sex marriages from other states with provisions that prohibit the denial of full faith and credit or any right or claim relating to out-of-state marriages on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin. (The Supreme Court held that state laws barring same-sex marriages were unconstitutional in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015; the Court held that state laws barring interracial marriages were unconstitutional in Loving v. Virginia in 1967.) The bill allows the Department of Justice to bring a civil action and establishes a private right of action for violations.
The bill does not (1) affect religious liberties or conscience protections that are available under the Constitution or federal law, (2) require religious organizations to provide goods or services to formally recognize or celebrate a marriage, (3) affect any benefits or rights that do not arise from a marriage, or (4) recognize under federal law any marriage between more than two individuals.
Congress.gov.
The bill passed the Senate on 11/29/2022; the Yea’s 61, the Nay’s 36, and 3 Senators did not vote.
President Biden issued the following statement on 11/29/2022:
With today’s bipartisan Senate passage of the Respect for Marriage Act, the United States is on the brink of reaffirming a fundamental truth: love is love, and Americans should have the right to marry the person they love. For millions of Americans, this legislation will safeguard the rights and protections to which LGBTQI+ and interracial couples and their children are entitled. It will also ensure that, for generations to follow, LGBTQI+ youth will grow up knowing that they, too, can lead full, happy lives and build families of their own.
White House.gov. 11/29/2022.
Importantly, the Senate’s passage of the Respect for Marriage Act is a bipartisan achievement. I’m grateful to the determined Members of Congress — especially Senators Baldwin, Collins, Portman, Sinema, Tillis, and Feinstein — whose leadership has underscored that Republicans and Democrats together support the essential right of LGBTQI+ and interracial couples to marry. I look forward to welcoming them at the White House after the House passes this legislation and sends it to my desk, where I will promptly and proudly sign it into law.
The bill passed the House on 12/08/2022: the Yea’s 258, the Nay’s 169, 1 Congressperson vote “present”, and 4 Congresspeople did not vote.
President Biden issued the following statement on 12/08/2022:
Today, Congress took a critical step to ensure that Americans have the right to marry the person they love. The House’s bipartisan passage of the Respect for Marriage Act—by a significant margin—will give peace of mind to millions of LGBTQI+ and interracial couples who are now guaranteed the rights and protections to which they and their children are entitled.
After the uncertainty caused by the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, Congress has restored a measure of security to millions of marriages and families. They have also provided hope and dignity to millions of young people across this country who can grow up knowing that their government will recognize and respect the families they build.
I want to once again thank the unwavering champions of this legislation in Congress—Representatives Nadler, Cicilline, and Davids in the House, and Senators Baldwin, Collins, Portman, Sinema, Tillis, and Feinstein in the Senate—who refused to be deterred and brought this vital bill over the finish line. Together, we showed that it’s possible for Democrats and Republicans to come together to safeguard our most fundamental rights.
On this day, Jill and I are thinking of the courageous couples and fiercely committed advocates who have fought for decades to secure nationwide marriage equality at the Supreme Court and in Congress. While we are one step closer on our long journey to build a more perfect union, we must never stop fighting for full equality for LGBTQI+ Americans and all Americans.
White House.gov. 12/08/2022.
His remarks prior to signing the bill into law are scheduled for 3:30 p.m. D.C., time.
When I clicked on their Twitter feed; every time I did, Twitter throws up balloons…
President Biden has offered unscheduled remarks on Inflation. The reason?
BLS.gov released the Consumer Price Index Summary; The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.1 percent in November on a seasonally adjusted basis, after increasing 0.4 percent in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 7.1 percent before seasonal adjustment.
As ever we turn to New York Times reporter Ben Casselman:
That was all there was at 7:52 a.m. my time. I decided to include them all in order so those of you not on Twitter anymore could see everything without having to visit there.
The YouTube of the live feed has a lot of “dead air” while they awaited the President’s remarks. I’ve cued the link at the 46 minute and 38 second mark, when President Biden finally begins his remarks. The transcript of those remarks have not been posted at this time.
When the post was posted for Monday, President Biden had tweeted 1 time. He added 6 tweets giving him a Monday Tweeting Total of 7 tweets and 0 retweets.
The YouTube is 16 minutes and 9 seconds long.
President Biden’s full remarks:
When I was that age, I could hardly say my name in public. (Laughter.) Actually, I used to stutter when I was a little boy, until I was in high school. It’s the only thing everybody — anyway. You’re a very impressive child.
THE FIRST LADY: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.Good afternoon. And, Samara, thank you for everything. Kids like you are the reason why I’ve never been so optimistic about our country. Think about it.
White House.gov. 12/12/2022.
I just have one request: When you’re President of the United States and they say that Joe Biden is in the outer office, promise me you won’t say to your staff, “Joe who?” (Laughter.) You’ll remember me?
All right. Okay. That’s all I ask. (Laughs.)
I also want to thank General Bellon for welcoming us today. And — and I told him he and I have something in common: We both married way above our station. Mrs. Bellon, it’s a pleasure to see you.
And, Lieutenant General Laster, you truly exemplify the Marine motto, “Always” — “Always Faithful.” Over 38 years of service in uniform and four more leading Toys for Tots, I want to thank you as well for not walking away.
Folks, it’s an honor to — to be with you celebrating the 75th anniversary of this incredible cause. And it is an incredible cause.
Toys for Tots is one of the best events of the year
at the White House. We set up donation boxes everywhere. And last week, one of the collection boxes in the Eisenhower building had things — a huge thing — stuffed animals, a smiling toy bunny perched on the edge. You can’t see something like that without smiling. And that’s what you all do.
For 75 years, you’ve brought joy and laughter and smiles to families all across this country.
Last year alone, you collected 22 million toys for more than 8 million children, giving Santa a run for his money.
And — but unlike Santa, you don’t wear big red suits. You don’t travel the world in just one night. Instead, you wear Dress Blues and Army Greens. And as Marines, soldiers, sailors, you stand watch around the world every single night.
As Jill mentioned, we have a “We the Children”’s room at the White House. And one of the pieces of this year’s broader holiday theme is “We the People,” when you come to the White House.
Those are the very first words of our Constitution — I say to all the adults. They’re very idea of America. And in “We the People,” we see you and the best of us — the women and men who gave everything to our country and give back to our communities. You aren’t just the heart and soul of our nation, you’re the very spine of our nation. And we owe you.
In “We the People,” we also see all the spouses, partners, and children here today. Jill and I know how much you give to our nation and how much you sacrifice.
The English poet, John Milton, once wrote, “They also serve who only stand and wait.” And it’s true.
We know that for those of you with husbands, wives, moms, dads, friends, loved ones deployed overseas, it can be extra tough this time of year.
When our son Beau was deployed in Iraq for a year, it was hard to look at that empty seat at the dinner table every night, particularly on the holidays. And for our granddaughters and grandson — they were the same age as many of you here today — it was even harder not to have their dad around on Christmas morning.
So I want to tell you what I told them: You have to keep brave — you have to be brave. Even when your mommies and daddies are far away, they are so proud of you.
And I’m so proud of you, as your President. All of you here today, you all give back. You’re helping other people, other kids, just like your parents are helping. And sometimes, just a little bit of help can change everything for someone.
I think about the story that Toys for Tots shared of a young girl, only nine years old, who fled violence from Nicaragua to come to the United States with her family. It about 35 years ago. Her parents had saved all the pennies they were able to get here. And they told her “Christmas isn’t going to happen this year” when she arrived, 35 years ago.
But then one morning, a big Toys for Tots truck pulled up to her new home in San Jose. Marines hopped out, and she got to pick a gift. You know what she picked? A huge stuffed bunny. She used it as a pillow.
That little girl grow — grew up to join the United States Marine Corps. She served our country in uniform for 26 years. She’s now a Major in the Marine Corps. I wish she could be here today, but she’s on active duty.
But she still remembers that first Christmas in the United States, and she shared her story with Toys for Tots — because this program gives so much more than just gifts. It gives hope. You give community. And you are the inspiration that lasts a lifetime. And that’s not hyperbole. You know it to be true in your gut. You’ve seen it in the face of — the looks of these children.
So all of you kids, keep it up. Keep on being brave. Keep on being involved. Keep on helping other people.
And may God bless you all. You have a Merry Christmas. And may God protect our troops.
Now let’s get sorting these gifts. Okay? You with me? (Applause.) All right.
(The President sorts gifts with Toys for Tots volunteers.)
Q Are you sending U.S. troops to Ukraine?
THE PRESIDENT: Are we sending troops to Ukraine?
Q Yeah.
THE PRESIDENT: No. We’re sending material like we have. Billions of dollars’ worth.
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden’s full remarks:
Thank you. Thank you very much. And — and thank you to your family as well. And thank you for your service.
And I’m so happy to be with some great friends today, who also happen to be the spouses of our senior Department of Defense and service leaders, and I want to thank them for helping — for coming to help out.
So, Merry Christmas and happy holidays.
I’m sorry, I have laryngitis. (Laughs.)
So, how many of you know this book?
(Holds up “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”)
Oh, everybody. Wow. Okay. (Laughs.) I love this book. And, as a matter of fact, I might have — I might have dressed up as the Grinch for a White House event when I was Second Lady.
But — and you probably know the whole story of the Grinch, but I’d like to read you one of my favorite parts.
Okay, actually, is there someone who would want to come up and read the one page? So — are you a good reader? Yeah? You come on up.
That way I — here, we’ll give him the apple box.
Okay. Just this page.
(A child reads a page from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”)
Thank you. (Applause.) You did a great job. What’s your name?
CHILD: Adam.
THE FIRST LADY: Adam. Thank you, Adam. (Applause.) Wow. (Laughs.) You did a great job.
So, if there’s one group of kids who understands that the holiday- — what the holidays are about more than what’s under the tree, it’s you — all of you — our military children.
And you understand that gifts that mean the most can’t be the ones held in our hands. You need a friend or time with the people you love, or the chance to serve your community and your country with honor and pride. Those things can’t be bought. They’re only given with our hearts.
So, military kids like you give our country so much. You support your parents through moves and deployments. And you sometimes help take care of the family members who came home with, maybe, illnesses or injuries. And you help out neighbors when they need it, just like you’re going to do today.
Now, I bet a lot of you put up trees and lights at your home already. How many have you — have done that?
Most of you. Wow.
Well, at the White House, we do the same thing. But how many trees do you think we have?
Wait, wait — how many do you think?
CHILD: One hundred and fifty?
THE FIRST LADY: One hundred and fifty? That’s close.
Okay, how about you?
CHILD: I think maybe, like, close to 65-ish.
THE FIRST LADY: Oh, close! Wow. You?
CHILD: One hundred and six.
THE FIRST LADY: One hundred and six. Well, you’re all pretty close, because we have 77 trees in the White House. And I hope you all come and take a tour and visit. And we have millions of lights.
And we have one very special room called “We the Children.” And it’s decorated to honor kids just like you, with drawings and reflections of the magic that, really, children, like all of you, bring to our holidays.
And you remind us that even though we have a lot of challenges ahead, our future is full of promise because you are going to lead it.
Oops.
Just like the Grinch himself, seeing all of you here, eagl- — eager to make someone else’s holiday a little more special, it’s enough to make my heart grow three sizes as well.
So, thank you to Toys for Tots for bringing us all together. So, Merry Christmas, and may you receive as much love this holiday as you give.
And now, it’s my honor and my pleasure to introduce our next speaker, Samara Donahue. And in addition to supporting her parents through deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, she has plans to follow in Joe’s footsteps and become President of the United States. (Applause.) I can’t wait to vote for you.
And she has to finish — she just has to finish school first — (laughter) — and wait about 25 years until she’s eligible.
So, anyway, we are all rooting for you. So, come on up, and you can talk to everybody. (Applause.)
White House.gov. 12/12/2022.
His climate change tweets…
On December 12th 2015 then-President Obama issued the following statement:
In my first inaugural address, I committed this country to the tireless task of combating climate change and protecting this planet for future generations.
Two weeks ago, in Paris, I said before the world that we needed a strong global agreement to accomplish this goal — an enduring agreement that reduces global carbon pollution and sets the world on a course to a low-carbon future.
A few hours ago, we succeeded. We came together around the strong agreement the world needed. We met the moment.
I want to commend President Hollande and Secretary General Ban for their leadership and for hosting such a successful summit, and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius for presiding with patience and resolve. And I want to give a special thanks to Secretary John Kerry, my Senior Advisor Brian Deese, our chief negotiator Todd Stern, and everyone on their teams for their outstanding work and for making America proud.
I also want to thank the people of nearly 200 nations — large and small, developed and developing — for working together to confront a threat to the people of all nations. Together, we’ve shown what’s possible when the world stands as one.
Today, the American people can be proud — because this historic agreement is a tribute to American leadership. Over the past seven years, we’ve transformed the United States into the global leader in fighting climate change. In 2009, we helped salvage a chaotic Copenhagen Summit and established the principle that all countries had a role to play in combating climate change. We then led by example, with historic investments in growing industries like wind and solar, creating a new and steady stream of middle-class jobs. We’ve set the first-ever nationwide standards to limit the amount of carbon pollution power plants can dump into the air our children breathe. From Alaska to the Gulf Coast to the Great Plains, we’ve partnered with local leaders who are working to help their communities protect themselves from some of the most immediate impacts of a changing climate.
Now, skeptics said these actions would kill jobs. Instead, we’ve seen the longest streak of private-sector job creation in our history. We’ve driven our economic output to all-time highs while driving our carbon pollution down to its lowest level in nearly two decades. And then, with our historic joint announcement with China last year, we showed it was possible to bridge the old divides between developed and developing nations that had stymied global progress for so long. That accomplishment encouraged dozens and dozens of other nations to set their own ambitious climate targets. And that was the foundation for success in Paris. Because no nation, not even one as powerful as ours, can solve this challenge alone. And no country, no matter how small, can sit on the sidelines. All of us had to solve it together.
Now, no agreement is perfect, including this one. Negotiations that involve nearly 200 nations are always challenging. Even if all the initial targets set in Paris are met, we’ll only be part of the way there when it comes to reducing carbon from the atmosphere. So we cannot be complacent because of today’s agreement. The problem is not solved because of this accord. But make no mistake, the Paris agreement establishes the enduring framework the world needs to solve the climate crisis. It creates the mechanism, the architecture, for us to continually tackle this problem in an effective way.
This agreement is ambitious, with every nation setting and committing to their own specific targets, even as we take into account differences among nations. We’ll have a strong system of transparency, including periodic reviews and independent assessments, to help hold every country accountable for meeting its commitments. As technology advances, this agreement allows progress to pave the way for even more ambitious targets over time. And we have secured a broader commitment to support the most vulnerable countries as they pursue cleaner economic growth.
In short, this agreement will mean less of the carbon pollution that threatens our planet, and more of the jobs and economic growth driven by low-carbon investment. Full implementation of this agreement will help delay or avoid some of the worst consequences of climate change, and will pave the way for even more progress, in successive stages, over the coming years.
Moreover, this agreement sends a powerful signal that the world is firmly committed to a low-carbon future. And that has the potential to unleash investment and innovation in clean energy at a scale we have never seen before. The targets we’ve set are bold. And by empowering businesses, scientists, engineers, workers, and the private sector — investors — to work together, this agreement represents the best chance we’ve had to save the one planet that we’ve got.
So I believe this moment can be a turning point for the world. We’ve shown that the world has both the will and the ability to take on this challenge. It won’t be easy. Progress won’t always come quick. We cannot be complacent. While our generation will see some of the benefits of building a clean energy economy — jobs created and money saved — we may not live to see the full realization of our achievement. But that’s okay. What matters is that today we can be more confident that this planet is going to be in better shape for the next generation. And that’s what I care about. I imagine taking my grandkids, if I’m lucky enough to have some, to the park someday, and holding their hands, and hearing their laughter, and watching a quiet sunset, all the while knowing that our work today prevented an alternate future that could have been grim; that our work, here and now, gave future generations cleaner air, and cleaner water, and a more sustainable planet. And what could be more important than that?
Today, thanks to strong, principled, American leadership, that’s the world that we’ll leave to our children — a world that is safer and more secure, more prosperous, and more free. And that is our most important mission in our short time here on this Earth.
Thanks.
Obama White House.archives.gov. 12/12/2015.
On June 1st 2017, the U.S. withdrew from the Paris Accord:
Today, President Donald J. Trump announced that the United States will withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, and begin negotiations to either re-enter or negotiate an entirely new agreement with more favorable terms for the United States.
The decision is a fulfillment of the promise President Trump made to the American people during his campaign. During the address in the Rose Garden at the White House, the President vowed that the U.S. would maintain its position as a world leader in clean energy, while protecting the economy and strengthening the work force.
The Paris Climate Accord cost the U.S. economy nearly $3 trillion in reduced output, over 6 million industrial jobs, and over 3 million manufacturing jobs.
Today’s announcement is yet another example of the President’s commitment to put America and its workers first.
According to a study by NERA Consulting, meeting the Obama Administration’s requirements in the Paris Accord would cost the U.S. economy nearly $3 trillion over the next several decades.
President Obama committed $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund – which is about 30 percent of the initial funding – without authorization from Congress.
The Obama-negotiated Accord imposes unrealistic targets on the U.S. for reducing our carbon emissions, while giving countries like China a free pass for years to come. Under the Accord, China will actually increase emissions until 2030.
According to researchers at MIT, if all member nations met their obligations, the impact on the climate would be negligible. The impacts have been estimated to be likely to reduce global temperature rise by 0.2 degrees Celsius in 2100.
Trump White House.archives.gov. 06/01/2017.
The above statement includes a YouTube video and images like this…
I decided against including them in the above quote.
On January 20th 2021, President Biden rejoined the Paris Agreement:
ACCEPTANCE ON BEHALF OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
I, Joseph R. Biden Jr., President of the United States of America, having seen and considered the Paris Agreement, done at Paris on December 12, 2015, do hereby accept the said Agreement and every article and clause thereof on behalf of the United States of America.
Done at Washington this 20th day of January, 2021.
White House.gov. 01/20/2021.
The video shared by President Biden is 1 minute and 20 seconds long. The first 15 seconds uses snips from 2015 when the U.S. joined the agreement. The video then cuts to actions taken by President Biden on climate change.
Up first is the Executive Order on: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad (01/27/2021).
Up next are remarks he gave during COP27 that was held in Egypt (11/11/2022).
President Biden: Over the past two years, the United States has delivered unprecedented progress at home.
President Biden: And this summer, the United States Congress passed and I signed into law my proposal for the biggest, most important climate bill in the history of our country — the Inflation Reduction Act. (Applause.) [The video cuts to August 6th 2022, when he signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act.]
President Biden: It includes less than I asked for, but a significant amount: $368 billion to support clean electric en- — clean electri- — electricity, everything from onshore wi- — offshore wind to — to distributed solar, zero-emission vehicles, and sustainable aviation fuels; more efficient electrified buildings; cleaner industrial processes and manufacturing; climate-smart agriculture and forestry; and more.
President Biden: And the sum total of the actions my administration is taking puts the United States on track to achieve our Paris Agreement goal of reducing emissions 50 to 52 percent below ’25 [sic] levels by — 2005 levels by 2030. (Applause.)
President Biden: That’s why we’re here. That is what we’re working toward. And we can do it together. I am confident.
I searched the White House using the keywords “climate change” and came away with 144 pages. These pages include remarks, blog posts, fact-sheets, and more.
On Sunday, President Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The White House posted the following readout of the call:
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., spoke today with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine to underscore ongoing U.S. support for Ukraine’s defense as Russia continues its assaults on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. President Biden highlighted how the U.S. is prioritizing efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense through our security assistance, including the December 9 announcement of $275 million in additional ammunition and equipment that included systems to counter the Russian use of unmanned aerial vehicles. President Biden also highlighted the November 29 announcement of $53 million to support energy infrastructure to strengthen the stability of Ukraine’s energy grid in the wake of Russia’s targeted attacks. President Biden welcomed President Zelenskyy’s stated openness to a just peace based on fundamental principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter. He reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to continue providing Ukraine with security, economic, and humanitarian assistance, holding Russia accountable for its war crimes and atrocities, and imposing costs on Russia for its aggression.
White House.gov. 12/11/2022.
President Zelenskyy said on Twitter:
On Monday, the White House posted the following G7 Leaders’ statement:
- We, the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7), met on 12 December, to reflect on progress of our cooperation under Germany’s Presidency to jointly address global challenges at a time of severe geopolitical crisis and critical moment for the world economy. We were joined by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This year in the face of Russia’s illegal, unjustifiable and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, we stood more united than ever, together with Ukraine and in unwavering commitment to our shared values, the rules-based multilateral order and international cooperation.
- Today, we reaffirm our unwavering support for and solidarity with Ukraine in the face of ongoing Russian war of aggression for as long as it takes. We condemn Russia’s continuous inhumane and brutal attacks targeting critical infrastructure, in particular energy and water facilities, and cities across Ukraine, and recall that indiscriminate attacks and attacks on the civilian population or civilian objects, constitute a war crime. We also condemn those who are facilitating Putin’s illegal war. We are determined to help Ukraine repair, restore and defend its critical energy and water infrastructure. We will help Ukraine in meeting its winter preparedness needs, will continue to support Ukraine’s civilian resilience, and will further enhance our efforts on this during the international conference to be held in Paris on 13 December. We are determined that Russia will ultimately need to pay for the restoration of critical infrastructure damaged or destroyed through its brutal war. There can be no impunity for war crimes and other atrocities. We will hold President Putin and those responsible to account in accordance with international law. We reiterate that Russia’s irresponsible nuclear rhetoric is unacceptable and that any use of chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons would be met with severe consequences.
- Building on our commitments so far, we will continue to galvanise international support to help address Ukraine’s urgent short-term financing needs. We ask our Finance Ministers to convene shortly to discuss a joint approach for coordinated budget support in 2023. We affirm that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) should be central to this effort.
- We firmly support efforts to secure Ukraine’s immediate financial stability and its recovery and reconstruction towards a sustainable, prosperous and democratic future, in line with its European path. We will build on the outcomes of the International Expert Conference on the Recovery, Reconstruction and Modernisation of Ukraine held on 25 October in Berlin, as well as at the Ukraine Recovery Conference on 21-22 June 2023 in London. In particular, with a view to supporting Ukraine’s repair, recovery and reconstruction, together with Ukraine and our international partners and in close coordination with relevant International Organisations and International Financial Institutions, we will establish a multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform. Through this platform, we will coordinate existing mechanisms to provide ongoing short- and long-term support – with particular responsibility of the Finance Track for short-term financial support –, coordinate further international funding and expertise, and encourage Ukraine’s reform agenda as well as private sector led growth. We will also set up a Secretariat for the Platform. We will each designate a senior government representative to oversee the set-up of the platform and ongoing coordination efforts, and ask them to convene as soon as possible in January 2023.
- With a view to a viable post-war peace settlement, we remain ready to reach arrangements together with Ukraine and interested countries and institutions on sustained security and other commitments to help Ukraine defend itself, secure its free and democratic future, and deter future Russian aggression in line with its rights enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations (UN Charter).
- We will continue to coordinate efforts to meet Ukraine’s urgent requirements for military and defense equipment with an immediate focus on providing Ukraine with air defense systems and capabilities.
- We also reiterate our strong condemnation of Russia’s continued seizure and militarisation of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, the abduction and reported abuse of Ukrainian personnel, and the willful destabilisation of its operations. We support the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) efforts to establish a Safety and Security Zone.
- Russia’s war of aggression must end. To date, we have not seen evidence that Russia is committed to sustainable peace efforts. Russia can end this war immediately by ceasing its attacks against Ukraine and completely and unconditionally withdrawing its forces from the territory of Ukraine. We welcome and support President Zelenskyy’s initiative for a just peace.
- We remain committed to our unprecedented coordinated sanctions measures in response to Russia’s war of aggression. We will maintain and intensify economic pressure on Russia and those who evade and undermine our restrictive measures. We will continue to shield vulnerable countries that are severely impacted by the repercussions of Russia’s war of aggression and its weaponisation of energy and food.
- We reaffirm our intention to phase out Russian-origin crude oil and petroleum products from our domestic markets. During the week of 5 December 2022, the price cap on seaborne Russian crude oil entered into force in our respective jurisdictions, delivering on our commitment to limit Russia from profiting from its war of aggression against Ukraine, to support stability in global energy markets and to minimise negative economic spillovers of Russia’s war of aggression, especially on low- and middle-income countries. We encourage third countries that seek to import seaborne Russian-origin crude oil and petroleum products to leverage the price cap. We reiterate our decision that the price cap on Russian origin petroleum products will enter into force on 5 February 2023.
- Russia’s war in Ukraine is exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy, with direct impacts on the cost of living of people in our own countries, and on the world’s most vulnerable. We will continue to use all available policy tools to maintain global financial, macroeconomic and price stability and long-term fiscal sustainability, while providing targeted support to those most in need and working collaboratively to strengthen our collective economic security to external shocks and wider risks. We will make public investments and structural reforms to promote long term growth. We will further coordinate to respond to the urgent needs of most vulnerable countries and will encourage private investment in developing and emerging markets as a key enabler of sustainable economic pathways.
- We will keep up our ambition to address global food insecurity, including through the Global Alliance for Food Security (GAFS). We will keep supporting the delivery of grain and fertilisers to vulnerable countries in need and welcome the recent operations led by the World Food Programme (WFP) on this front. We welcome the extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) alongside further efforts to bring Ukrainian food to the world, namely the European Union’s Solidarity Lanes and the Grain from Ukraine Initiative.
- Reaffirming our steadfast commitment to implement the Paris Agreement and the outcomes of COP26 and COP27, we commit to urgent, ambitious, and inclusive climate action in this decade to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. We reaffirm our commitment to reach net-zero emissions no later than 2050. To that end, and building on our statement adopted in June in Elmau, we endorse the Climate Club’s terms of reference as established by the Climate Club Task Force and hereby establish an open and cooperative international Climate Club. Focusing in particular on the decarbonisation of industries, we will thereby contribute to unlocking green growth. We invite international partners to join the Climate Club and to participate in the further elaboration of its concept and structure. In doing so, we will continue working closely together with relevant International Organisations and stakeholders. We ask the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in tandem with the International Energy Agency (IEA), to host an interim secretariat working together with other International Organisations.
- Recalling our commitment to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, we will work intensively towards a successful outcome at Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) COP15, in particular the adoption of an ambitious and effective global biodiversity framework, with clear and measurable targets and its prompt and swift implementation. In this regard we are committed to mobilising resources from all sources and to substantially increasing our national and international funding for nature by 2025 to support the implementation of an ambitious global framework. We encourage countries beyond the G7 to join us in this endeavor.
- Accelerating our contributions to the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) to make our global partners a better offer on sustainable, inclusive, climate-resilient, and quality infrastructure investment, we welcome the progress on the Just Energy Transitions Partnerships (JETP) with South Africa and Indonesia as flagship projects for multilateral cooperation, just energy transition and sustainable investment and look forward to swiftly concluding negotiations on a JETP with Vietnam, as well as to making further progress with India and Senegal. We will intensify our cooperation within a PGII working group to deliver on our joint ambition to mobilise up to 600 billion dollars by 2027, and on JETPs, we will coordinate through the JETP working group.
- Reaffirming our full commitment to realise gender equality and to consistently mainstream gender equality into all policy areas, we welcome the key recommendations by the Gender Equality Advisory Council (GEAC) and look forward to receiving the GEAC’s full report by the end of the year. We thank this year’s GEAC for its important work, reiterate our intention to convene the GEAC as a standing feature of all G7 Presidencies, and look forward to further strengthening it.
- This year, we have achieved progress to improve the global health architecture with the World Health Organization (WHO) at its core, our capacity to prevent, prepare for and respond to future global health emergencies and to achieve universal health coverage, especially through the G7 Pact for Pandemic Readiness endorsed in Elmau. We welcome the successful Seventh Replenishment of the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund). We will step up our efforts on training and qualifying health workforce as well as strengthening surveillance capacities to detect outbreaks and variants as early as possible by integrating the One Health approach. We will continue to support science to develop safe and effective vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.
- Under the German Presidency, we, the G7, together with other international partners, have demonstrated our resolve to jointly addressing both major systemic challenges and immediate crises of our time. Our commitments and actions pave the way for progress towards an equitable world. As we look to the 2023 G7 Summit in Hiroshima under the Japanese Presidency, and in our support to the Indian G20 Presidency, we stand strong, united and absolutely committed to rebuilding a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable future for all.
In personal news: I’m off tomorrow and Thursday; Tomorrow we are taking the grandbabies and their parents to Disneyland. Thursday I plan on recovering from Wednesday…
Be kind to Halodoc; See you Friday.
This is an Open Thread.
