THE US president’s special envoy for climate John Kerry has hailed Scotland’s example on tackling climate change.

During a talk hosted by international affairs think tank Chatham House, Kerry was discussing issues surrounding the climate crisis in the lead-up to COP27.

He was asked by Alba party chief officer Chris McEleny about Scotland’s positioning as a country that “does not experience extreme climate change” while also having huge renewable energy potential.

McEleny asked: “Do you not think a state like Scotland – two words you used were demonstration and abatement – that we should have more of a drive to be a demonstrator nation and show other people how to carbon capture and develop cheaper technology on wind and hydro so we can export it to [African countries]?

He added: “How do you think you can create a state that says ‘we need to do this because it’s going to be the next big export wave’?”

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In response, Kerry said: “Given the changes that are taking place and the warming, you have to make some real analyses as to whether that hydro is going to be there in 10-20-30 years – but if you’ve got sourcing and capacity to really make that work, absolutely, go for it.

“We’re going to end up pumping water to places, without any doubt in my mind …

“We really need to be forward-leaning and prescient about beating the point where people are fighting over water – they already fight about water in various parts of the world – we got to prevent that from becoming a wholesale new security challenge on a global basis.”

Earlier in the debate, Kerry joked that he managed to learn how to understand the Scottish accent during a previous stay in the country.

He said: “I worked out how to interpret you guys over the six years I was there.”

COP27 will be held from November 6 to 18 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.