Coons leads Democratic, Republican group to climate summit

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) led a group of Democratic and Republican lawmakers to the U.N climate summit COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, The Associated Press reported.

Coons is the chairman of a bipartisan Senate climate group, with Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) also expected at the summit. 

Lawmakers in the group said the trip showed interest from Republican lawmakers on climate issues.

“My name is John Curtis, and I’m a Republican. And I’m here,” Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah.) told an audience at an Atlantic Council panel Saturday. 

Lawmakers in the group said there are a growing number of Republicans who want to work to slow climate change even though Democrats and Republicans have differing ideas and philosophies on the issues, the AP reported. 

Since Democrats won a seat on climate issues in the 2018 midterm elections, Republicans have publicly backed off from pushing claims against the science establishing that the burning of coal and petroleum is the primary cause of global warming, the AP noted.