The United States and China, the world's two largest carbon polluters, have agreed to tackle the curbing climate change on priority, just days before President Joe Biden hosts a virtual summit of world leaders to discuss the matter.
Two Days of Talks in Shanghai Was Fruitful
As per the collective statement released by both countries, the agreement was reached by John Kerry - U.S. special envoy for climate and Xie Zhenhua - his Chinese counterpart in Shanghai last week, during their talks of two days.
A statement was issued on Saturday evening U.S. time stated that the U.S. and China have committed to cooperating with other countries to tackle the climate crisis, which will be addressed with the importance and urgency it demands.
Kerry In His Words...
China is the world's biggest coal user; Kerry said he and Chinese officials had many talks on accelerating a global energy transition. "I have never shied away from expressing our views shared by many, many people that it is imperative to reduce coal, everywhere," he said [1].
And unfortunately, the U.S. became a renegade under the non-leadership of President Trump in the last four years," Kerry told in an interview conducted before the talks but aired on Sunday. "But we are now back and present with a very aggressive series of initiates to try to make up for the lost time."[2]
Both countries pump out approximately half the fossil-fuel fumes that are warming the planet's environment. Their cooperation is key to successful global attempts to curb climate change. Still, frayed ties over human rights, trade, and China's provincial claims to Taiwan and the South China Sea have threatened to weaken such efforts.
Ever since Biden took office in January 2021, Kerry's Shanghai trip has marked the highest-level travel to China by a U.S. official. The state's former secretary flew to South Korea from Shanghai, for talks.
Biden Invited World-Leaders to the April 2022-23 Summit
Biden has invited nearly 40 world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, to the April 2022-23 summit. The U.S. and other countries are presumed to announce more ambitious national targets for cutting carbon emissions ahead of or at the meeting, along with promising financial help for climate efforts by less affluent nations.
Now, the real question is: How fruitful Kerry's visit to China would be in promoting cooperation on climate issues.
As per the statement made by U.S.-China, the two countries would improve "their actions and cooperate in multilateral processes, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement."[3]
References:
[1] https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/us-china-agree-co-operate-102505403.html
[2] https://unfoxnews.com/feuds-set-aside-as-u-s-and-china-agree-to-cooperate-on-climate-change/
[3] https://www.wpr.org/u-s-china-agree-cooperate-climate-crisis-urgency
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Published by: Book Club
Source: NewsService
Release ID: 17845