Kevin Rudd Delivers Keynote Address at PCSI Forum in Beijing
Asia Society Policy Institute President Kevin Rudd delivered the opening keynote address of the third Pacific Cities Sustainability Initiative (PCSI) forum in Beijing on Monday. Noting that “the science is irrefutable,” Rudd stated that climate change is a reality which must be addressed immediately.
Rudd stated that we are at an historic point — while the U.S. remains a great power, China has joined the U.S. on the global stage and is now a major economic and political power. While the two nations have many points of divergence and competing narratives about one another, the fight against climate change is an area where both sides have a great interest in working together. Rudd also advocated strongly for inclusion of India in any efforts to find a solution, noting that within 20 years that nation will have a larger population than China, and that its economy is growing rapidly.
Rudd noted that getting all nations to see eye to eye on the challenge would be “hard work,” and admitted that it had cost him dearly in Australia when he had been prime minister. But he warned that the fight is now more necessary than ever, that time is short and the costs of inactivity will only increase over time.
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