The United States and China have reached an agreement to restart formal climate change negotiations between the two largest greenhouse gas emitters in the world after more than a year-long hiatus. This breakthrough in climate cooperation sets the stage for an upcoming international climate conference in Dubai. The U.S. and China have also committed to coordinating efforts to reduce methane emissions and hasten the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. The agreement comes ahead of a key meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, signaling a potential thaw in relations after a period of escalating tensions.
The joint statement follows three days of meetings between U.S. climate envoy John F. Kerry and Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua in Sunnylands, California, last week. This renewed climate dialogue also comes at a critical juncture, as international climate leaders have expressed concerns that the strained relations between the two superpowers could hinder progress in international climate negotiations at the annual U.N. Climate Change Conference and impact efforts to limit rising global temperatures. The collaboration between the U.S. and China is seen as crucial in jumpstarting the international community’s effort to combat climate change, and leaders have been calling for a U.S.-China deal to provide a major momentum to the global fight against climate change.
The U.S. and China have historically been major contributors to global carbon emissions, with China being the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide. However, due to earlier industrialization, the U.S. bears more global responsibility for total carbon emissions, and Americans also generate more emissions per person than their Chinese counterparts. This renewed climate cooperation between the U.S. and China could have significant implications for global climate efforts and the fight against climate change.
