President Joe Biden has apologised for the United States pulling out of the historic Paris climate accord.

Mr Biden, who re-joined the agreement within hours of taking office, told the COP27 climate conference in Egypt that his
administration was “putting our money where our mouth is.”

The president’s speech was briefly interrupted by a group of fossil fuel protesters, who were quickly removed from the venue in Sharm-El-Sheikh.

His predecessor Donald Trump took the U.S. out of the climate accords during his time in office.

President Biden arrived buoyed from the results of the midterm elections, which are on course to be the best for a president’s party in about two decades.

The surprise outcome follows a major $370bn climate bill that was passed by a whisker by Congress in August in the face of fierce Republican opposition.

Biden said the spending, part of broader economic legislation he signed into law this year, will “change the paradigm” and ensure the U.S. hits its target for reducing emissions by 2030. Earlier he met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, where he raised the issue of human rights under the authoritarian regime.

US midterm elections: Biden hails ‘strong’ results for Democrats – but Senate race still on a knife-edge

Three possible scenarios as Americans vote – not just for the US, but for the world

Trump vows to make ‘very big announcement’ next week – and repeatedly hints he will run in 2024

Egypt’s presidency has been tainted by outrage at its imprisoning of political prisoners, namely British-Egyptian writer Alaa Abd El-Fattah Alaa, and by the problems at the conference venue, where food, water and internet have been hard to come by.

The White House will hope Biden’s address, as well as a smattering of smaller announcements and appearances by senior Democrats such as Nancy Pelosi, positions the US as a climate leader – particularly after the hiatus years under Mr Trump.

But it is still the world’s biggest oil producer and biggest historical polluter – and the average American emits far more carbon dioxide than those in any other major economy.

It is also one of many countries falling short on cutting emissions as promised and coughing up long overdue cash to fund climate measures in developing countries.

Mohamed Adow, director of Power Shift Africa, a think tank, said: “Joe Biden comes to COP27 and makes new promises, but his old promises have not even been fulfilled.

“I’d rather have one apple in my hand than the promise of five that never come… We need straightforward funding that directly goes to communities and countries.”

Dissatisfied campaigners gathered outside the conference zone where Mr Biden spoke, waving blue banners and shouting “pay up for loss and damage”.

The hot topic “loss and damage” refers to calls from vulnerable nations for reparations for climate impacts that are battering and sinking their land, killing their citizens and destroying their crops.

They and other countries will judge the US’s leadership in part on its willingness to engage on the issue.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

So far at the talks, “the US and other major economies are essentially allowing this [conversation] to continue, nodding a lot but not actually saying very much”, according to Collin Rees, US programme manager at Oil Change international, who has been observing discussions.

“There’s a big worry that heading into the second week and really the crux of the negotiations, that’s when they might play their cards and say, ‘absolutely not’.”

Other issues at stake are efforts to shift away from fossil fuels and the global dash for gas, the subject of intense debate in host continent Africa.

Watch the Daily Climate Show at 3.30pm Monday to Friday, and The Climate Show with Tom Heap on Saturday and Sunday at 3.30pm and 7.30pm.

All on Sky News, on the Sky News website and app, on YouTube and Twitter.

The show investigates how global warming is changing our landscape and highlights solutions to the crisis.

Related posts:

‘Coronavirus could not stop me’: Millions of Indians travel to celebrate religious festival Six Palestinians killed by Israeli army in West Bank amid protests over Gaza violence Turkey floods kill at least 40 people as hundreds feared missing More than a million urged to evacuate as heavy rain sparks floods and mudslides in Japan ‘Positive trend’ in global efforts to reduce coal power – think tank report ‘I want to stay and compete in Australian Open’: Djokovic returns to training after winning visa case No breakthrough on tense day of US-Russia talks amid fears Putin plotting Ukraine invasion Nearly 50 killed as floods wash away homes in South Africa ‘Everything is gone’: Burnt-out super cars and ransacked hotels remain after Sri Lanka fury World hunger levels ‘at a new high’, UN chief says, as 22 million tonnes of grain are stuck in Ukraine British-Belgian teen becomes youngest pilot to fly around world solo Ukraine forces Russian troops out of city a day after Putin’s annexation