John Kerry: ‘climate change is fearsome weapon’

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has called climate change perhaps the world's most destructive weapon in a speech to officials in Indonesia on Sunday.

Kerry tore into climate change deniers and accused them of using inaccurate science as he addressed Indonesian government officials, civic leaders and students in the capital Jakarta.

The U.S. and China announced an agreement to cooperate more closely on addressing climate change on Saturday and American officials hope it will act as a precedent for developing countries.

During the Beijing leg of his tour, Kerry also announced that China and the United States have agreed to share information on their efforts to combat climate change ahead of 2015 UN-led efforts to set emission reduction goals for after 2020.

Paris will host the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference at which a new pact to cut global emissions is due to be agreed.

The Paris talks are aimed at reaching a deal to succeed the 1997 Kyoto treaty, which expires in 2020.

China and the United States are the biggest emitters of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and Kerry said every country must take responsibility for the problem and act immediately.

He highlighted that the cost of inaction would far outweigh the expense of reducing emissions and cited a number of recent natural disasters and their impact on food and water security, commerce, industry, agriculture, fishing and daily living conditions for billions of people.

He promoted the need for a landmark global energy policy and the embracing of a greener economy with a shift in focus towards cleaner technologies and power sources.

A joint U.S.-China statement issued after Kerry left Beijing on Saturday said the countries agreed on a variety of measures to curb emissions, including reducing vehicle emissions and improving the energy efficiency of buildings.

Kerry was in Indonesia on the last leg of a tour of Asia that started in South Korea. After leaving Indonesia on Monday, he planned to visit Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.