Weekly Standard: Speaking today in Stockholm, Sweden, John Kerry called “climate change” a “life and death” issue. And the secretary of state apologized on behalf of the United States for not doing enough to fight “climate change.”

“I also want to say that we appreciate Sweden’s partnership because these challenges in Europe and North Africa and Central Asia simply do not belong to one nation; they’re shared by all of us and they affect all of us. And at the top of that list of shared challenges which does not get enough attention, and it’s one of the principal reasons that I came here today to share bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister but also will travel on to Kiruna to take part in the Arctic Council, a principal challenge to all of us of life and death proportions is the challenge of climate change,” said Kerry.

“It is not a challenge that can be solved by any one nation, and in our discussions with the Prime Minister he pointed out to me that, in fact, Sweden’s contribution to the problem of – to the problem of climate change is a tiny point percentage of the total problem. And yet Sweden’s contribution to the solution is much more significant than anything that might be expected because of the level of its own contribution to the problem. So Sweden is way ahead of the curve.”

Kerry went on to apologize for lack of action on the part of America:

“And I have to say that I regret that my own country – and President Obama knows this and is committed to changing it –needs to do more and we are committed to doing more. And we come here to Kiruna with a great understanding of the challenge to the Arctic as the ice melts, as the ecosystem is challenged, the fisheries, and the possibilities of increased commercial traffic as a result of the lack of ice raises a whole set of other issues that we need to face up to.”

Teaser Image: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry participates in a press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt on May 14, 2013 in Stockholm, Sweden.[State Department photo / Public Domain]