John Kerry, special envoy for climate of the US government, is to travel to China and South Korea to promote more ambitious climate goals, the State Department announced on Tuesday.
The talks in Shanghai and Seoul, to take place between Wednesday and Sunday, are to serve as preparation for the climate summit on April 22 and 23 called by US President Joe Biden.
Biden has invited some 40 world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The event is to be streamed live on the internet for public viewing.
Preparations for the 26th UN climate conference in Glasgow in November are also to be discussed, according to the statement.
The US and China are the world’s largest economies – and are also among the most prolific emitters of carbon dioxide.
During the summit, Biden wants to emphasize the urgency for implementing stronger measures to fight global warming and their economic importance.
Before the summit, the United States are also to announce an ambitious climate goal for the year 2030 as contribution to the Paris climate agreement.
Biden urged other leaders to use the online meeting in April to also expand their climate targets.
Kerry was in India last week and met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also recently swung through Europe, with stops in London, Paris and Brussels.