In a significant development for global climate action, the United States and China have agreed to rejuvenate their bilateral working group on climate issues. This renewed commitment comes ahead of the pivotal COP28 talks in Dubai.
Renewal of Bilateral Climate Talks
- Revival of the Working Group: The U.S. and China will revive a working group focusing on climate change, addressing key issues like methane emissions, plastic pollution, and energy transition.
- Joint Statement Post-Talks: This decision follows talks held in Sunnylands, California, between the countries’ top climate envoys, John Kerry and Xie Zhenhua.
Objectives and Areas of Cooperation
- Focus on Renewable Energy and Emission Reduction: Both countries support the G20 declaration to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030. They have pledged to collaborate on reducing forest loss and managing plastic pollution.
- Commitment to “Circular Economy”: The working group aims to focus on boosting efficiency in resource use and implementing a circular economy approach.
Challenges and Commitments
- China’s Carbon Emission Efforts: As China continues to approve new coal-fired power plants for energy security, its carbon emission reduction efforts will be a focal point at the COP28 talks.
- Energy Transition Strategies: The two nations agreed to accelerate the transition from coal, oil, and gas generation, although phasing out these fossil fuels was not explicitly mentioned.
- Large-Scale Cooperation Projects: Both countries committed to advancing at least five major projects in carbon capture, utilization, and storage by the end of the decade.
COP28 Expectations and Global Stocktake
- Preparation for COP28: The upcoming conference will focus on a global stocktake to assess progress towards the Paris Agreement goals.
- Ambition and Implementation: The U.S. and China agreed that the stocktake should reveal a need for significantly more ambition and implementation to meet the Paris goals, emphasizing the role of developed countries in climate financing commitments.
Conclusion
The renewed climate cooperation between the U.S. and China, the world’s two largest greenhouse gas emitters, marks a crucial step towards addressing global climate challenges. As they prepare for the COP28 talks, the focus will be on turning these commitments into tangible actions to combat climate change effectively.
Also learn about China’s Wang Yi’s Strategic Visit to Russia.
