The "New York Times" and "The Guardian" described the joint agreement between the United States and China on "enhancing climate action" as a "surprise" for the thousands of attendees at the United Nations Climate Summit concluding in Glasgow on Friday. The "New York Times" stated that the two rivals, facing escalating tensions over trade, human rights, and other issues, spoke as allies in the fight to keep global warming at relatively safe levels. On the sidelines of the Glasgow Summit "COP26," the two nations announced a joint declaration on enhancing climate action, as revealed by China's climate envoy, Xie Zhenhua, on Wednesday.
China and the United States are collaborating in key areas such as reducing methane—one of the potent greenhouse gases—and emissions from transport, energy, and industry, according to "The Guardian." The Chinese official told reporters, "Both parties acknowledge the gap between current efforts and the goals of the Paris Agreement, thus we will work together to enhance climate action." Xie emphasized that the agreement "demonstrates that cooperation is the only way forward for China and the United States," amid recent tensions between the two countries reflecting on climate issues.
U.S. climate envoy John Kerry acknowledged the differences between the United States and China but stated, "However, regarding climate, cooperation is the only way to accomplish this task," as reported by the "New York Times." Kerry expressed satisfaction with the "roadmap" aimed at identifying "how we will work together to limit global warming and achieve our climate ambitions."
In this context, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commended the U.S.-China agreement, considering it "an important step in the right direction." He tweeted from Glasgow, "I welcome today's agreement between China and the United States to work together to take more ambitious climate actions during this decade," noting that addressing the "climate crisis requires international cooperation and solidarity."
China ranks first in greenhouse gas emissions, while the United States holds the second position, with both countries together accounting for about 40 percent of total carbon pollution. The U.S.-China announcement coincided with the release of an initial draft for a new global climate agreement by summit organizers, calling on countries to "reassess and enhance" their plans by the end of 2022 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and "accelerate the phase-out of coal and support for fossil fuels."
Numerous experts noted that the joint agreement between China and the United States does not match the level of the 2014 U.S.-China agreement on jointly reducing emissions, which paved the way for the Paris Climate Agreement signed by nearly 200 countries in 2015. Tom Woodruff, a former climate diplomat and fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, told the "New York Times," "This means that the intense level of dialogue between the U.S. and China on climate can now translate into cooperation."
U.S. President Joe Biden, who attended the Glasgow conference last week, regarded the absence of his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping from "COP26" as "a big mistake." The Chinese envoy stated, "As the two major powers in the world, China and the United States must bear the responsibility of working together with other parties to combat climate change."
According to the text of the agreement published online, the two countries commit to working within "COP26" for a "ambitious, balanced, and inclusive settlement" regarding emission reductions, adaptation, and financial support. They also generally pledged to "take enhanced measures to achieve ambitions during the years 2020," reaffirming their adherence to the goals of the Paris Agreement concerning global warming.
