LOS ANGELES — Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles, who is currently on a trip for the U.N. climate conference, in Scotland, was positive for COVID-19, his office stated.

He is happy and relaxed in his hotel room. “He is fully vaccinated,” Garcetti’s official Twitter account stated.

The office did not release additional information immediately.

___

GENEVA — The U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry and nearly three dozen large corporations, including Amazon and Apple, have formed an alliance to create a market for technologies that produce low levels of carbon dioxide.

The World Economic Forum announced Wednesday that the First Movers Coalition will help companies plan their purchases in a way that “creates new market demand for low carbon technologies,” stating that it was aiming to assist them.

Borge Brende, forum president, stated that technology has provided us with the tools to reduce our carbon emissions and create a more inclusive and strong economy in the future. Clear market demand is essential for investors and innovators to be able to tackle the climate crisis.

Brende was present at the U.N. climate conference, COP26 in Glasgow. The coalition also included Holcim cement company, Holcim and Scania vehicle manufacturers.

The World Economic Forum is a think-tank best known for its annual gathering of elites in Davos (Switzerland). It says that businesses must send clearer messages to their suppliers in order to achieve the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050.

The project’s first phase will be focused on emissions-heavy industries such as shipping, steel, trucking, and aviation. Truck, plane, and cargo vessel operators would be required to use more sustainable fuels with lower CO2 emissions.

___

MOSCOW — U.S. President Joe Biden has criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to not attend the U.N. Climate Conference. The Kremlin rejected his criticism.

“His tundra has been burning, literally the tundra has burned. Biden spoke Tuesday about Putin and the wildfires in Siberia, stating that he has serious climate problems and is not willing to do anything.

Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, said Wednesday that Moscow did not agree with Biden’s description. According to him, the Russian delegation at COP26 actively took part in the summit.

Peskov stated that Russia’s climate actions don’t aim to be tied to any particular event. “Of course, we are not belittling the significance of the event in Glasgow, but Russia’s actions are consistent, serious and well-thought-through.”

Peskov said, “The tundra is indeed burning.” “But we must not forget that forests are being destroyed in California, Turkey, and other countries. These are the effects of climate change that we face, and Russia is, in some ways, facing even more serious problems.

Moscow has “concrete plans” to tackle climate change and is taking “a very responsible position”, a Kremlin spokesperson stressed.

Peskov concluded that “Most likely all of this was not reported by the president of U.S.A. when he spoke of non-participation Russia.”

___

GLASGOW (Scotland) — U.S. Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry stated Wednesday that the COP26 climate negotiations in Glasgow are more focused and energetic than previous rounds, in part due to the strong support and presence of the private sector.

Kerry spoke to a group of mayors around the world involved in climate initiatives at the local level.

Britain’s Prime Minister, David Cameron, made these comments as he called on the financial sector to redirect vast amounts of money towards greener investment in order to help global efforts to reduce global warming.

___

GLASGOW (Scotland) — Britain is asking the financial sector to redirect its huge funds to greener investments in order to help curb global warming.

Rishi Sunak, Treasury chief, stated that the U.K. government has provided new funds to aid poor countries in dealing with climate change. He said, however, that public investment alone was not enough.

Sunak called for an “historic wall” of capital to ensure a net zero transition in the world.

Poor countries are furious that Britain and other wealthy nations failed to fulfill their pledge to fund climate-related projects in developing countries by 2020 with $100 billion per year.

___

SHYAMNAGAR (Bangladesh) — Climate change has a range of impacts, from more frequent cyclones and tidal flooding to Bangladesh where 30 million people may be forced from their homes.

Bangladesh, which accounts for a small fraction of global emissions, is requesting more funding support at the U.N. Climate Summit in Glasgow.

The decade-old agreement between rich and poor countries to provide $100 billion per year for their nations to adapt to climate change and switch to renewable energy has not been honored. The little that was given has not been enough to make a real difference.