Harris In Dubai Tries To Address Two Challenges That Have Long Troubled The US

Filling in for US President Joe Biden, Kamala Harris flew to the Middle East last week. But the vice president spent barely 24 hours on the ground in Dubai, less time than the roughly 15 hours each way it took to reach the UAE and get back to the US.

Expo City Dubai is hosting the COP28 climate conference from November 30 – December 12, convening more than 70,000 participants, including heads of state, international industry leaders, private sector representatives, experts, academics, youth and non-state actors.

Harris Talks Climate and Conflict At COP28 Summit

In Dubai, Harris noted it is “our duty and our obligation” to do more to limit the increase in average global temperatures, highlighting the US is set to contribute $3 billion to a global fund meant to help developing countries better tackle the effects of climate change.

The US is also known to be joining 90-plus countries in promising to double energy efficiency and triple renewable energy capacity by the end of the decade. But Harris stopped short of calling for a phaseout of fossil fuels, something activists have been pressing for.

The vice president spoke to reporters after her day of diplomacy. But her prepared remarks skipped over the US pledge concerning the climate fund, a development she had cited in her conference speech. To the media, she focused on steps to resolve the conflict.

“We all want this [Israel-Hamas] conflict to end as soon as possible, and to ensure Israel’s security and ensure security for the Palestinian people,” Harris said. Climate and conflict are matters that seek a balancing act at home as a possible Biden-Trump clash unfolds.

US’s Frustration Over Gasoline Prices & Gaza Conflict

The Democratic administration is staking much of the US economy’s future on renewable energy. But American voters have expressed frustration over gasoline prices that are higher than when the incumbent President took office.

Read More: Does The International Humanitarian Law Apply The Same For Everyone?

At the same time, the raging violence in the Middle East, that has already claimed at least 1,200 lives in Israel and more than 15,000 in the Gaza Strip, has exposed rifts among Democrats over the US’s support for Israel and the suffering of Palestinian civilians.