Former Presidential candidate and US Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry will discuss the worsening climate crisis in a speech at Kew Gardens on Tuesday (July 20).

The Democratic Party grandee, who served as Secretary of State under President Obama prior to his role in the current Joe Biden administration, will discuss the "urgency of the climate crisis" according to Chatham House who will livestream the event on their website Tuesday at 3pm.

Kerry, a vocal supporter of action to address the climate crisis, will return to London after his speech on July 24 to liaise with UK government officials ahead of the crucial COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow this November.

Many have pointed to the summit as a key moment in global the race against time to decarbonise the world's economy as fast as possible before the already severe impacts of the climate crisis, which is fuelled by human carbon emissions, gets worse and spirals out of control.

Climate activists from Extinction Rebellion (XR) have vowed to attend Kerry's speech at Kew Gardens on Tuesday.

Members of the Richmond branch of XR will hold a "peaceful, socially distanced vigil outside Victoria Gate at Kew Gardens from 2.30pm on Tuesday to demand that the US and the UK lead the way to a fossil free future and decarbonise now".

Ahead of the event the group pointed to a lack of necessary, decisive action from the Biden government (of which Kerry is a part) in addressing the climate emergency despite the administration being vocally supportive of policies that would decrease emissions.

"Despite election pledges to act urgently on the climate crisis, President Biden’s administration has approved fossil fuel drilling permits on public and tribal lands at a faster rate than either of his predecessors, and is propping up the dying tar sands industry by continuing to allow construction of the Line 3 pipeline through the treaty territory of Anishinaabe peoples in Minnesota," a spokesperson for Richmond XR said.

They referenced the fact that the Biden government has not only approved the controversial Line 3 pipeline but is on course to be greenlighting new oil drilling permits on federal land at a faster rate than any US president since George W Bush.

Over 2,100 new permits for oil drilling on US federal land have so far been approved by the US government since Biden took office on January 20.

"Meanwhile, the UK government is considering construction of a large new oil field in the Cambo Field, West of Shetland, which would be a devastating failure of UK climate leadership in the lead up to COP26 in Glasgow this November," the spokesperson added.

"Extinction Rebellion stands in solidarity with indigenous peoples and all those on the frontlines of the climate crisis around the world. We demand that the United States and the United Kingdom demonstrate true climate leadership by ending support for all fossil fuel projects."