The United States and China, two of the world’s biggest carbon emitters contributing around 40% of global emissions together, released a joint statement at the ongoing COP 26 climate conference in Glasgow, UK.
The statement refers to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report released in August, which was termed as a “code red for humanity” by Secretary General Antonio Guterres and said that both countries “further recognize the seriousness and urgency of the climate crisis”. It says that both countrues are willing to tackle the crisis with “respective accelerated actions… to avoid catastrophic impacts”.
I welcome today's agreement between China and the USA to work together to take more ambitious #ClimateAction in this decade.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) November 10, 2021
Tackling the climate crisis requires international collaboration and solidarity, and this is an important step in the right direction. #COP26
The statement committed both countries to achieve the 2015 Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C and well below 2°C by the end of the century. The 2020s have been recognized as a “critical decade” towards this end. Both countries committed to taking “enhanced climate actins”for raising ambitions towards achieving this goal.
The US and China also plan to work individualy, bilaterally, and with other countries to close the gap of climate mitigation efforts worldwide. This includes “accelerating the green and low-carbon transition and climate technology innovation”.
China’s climate envoy Xie Zhenhua said: “There is more agreement between the US and China than divergence, making it an area ofhuge potential for cooperation", adding: “By working together our two countries can achieve many important things that are beneficial not only to our two countries but the world as a whole.”
Focus On Methane Emissions, Electrification, Carbon Capture Tech
America has announced The U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan while China also has a National Action Plan on methane. Among areas of cooperation will be evolving policies to decarbonize the economy, regulations to reduce emissions, ensuring social gains through clean energy transition, developing and implementing “CCUS and direct air capture” technologies.
Read the full statement here
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