EU commissioner on climate action: 'Leave no one behind'

Frans Timmerman, the European commissioner for climate action, is urging that all nations “leave no one behind” and that changes are as fair as possible as the world moves toward a greener economy to address the climate crisis

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- All nations have a responsibility to ensure that no one gets left behind and that changes are as fair as possible in the transition to a greener economy that's needed to address the climate crisis, European Commission for Climate Action Frans Timmermans said Monday.

“I think that the greatest boundaries are the same in the developing world as in the developed world: we should leave no one behind. And of course, if you’re in the developing world, the risk of leaving people behind is bigger than in the developed world,” Timmermans said. “And that’s going to be our biggest challenge.”

Timmermans spoke to The Associated Press in Jakarta, Indonesia, ahead of a key U.N. climate summit known as COP26 that starts in Glasgow, Scotland, on Oct. 31.

“Indonesia is a very important country for COP26: it's the incoming president of the G-20, but also a country that has made huge strides in terms of the climate issue," he said. "It’s now a country that wants to lead in this issue, wants to show that they can also transform their economy into a sustainable economy. And I’m really excited about that. That’s why I want to be here.”