China, US unveil surprise emissions deal
China and the United States early on Thursday unveiled a surprise deal and issued a joint statement on climate cooperation, pledging they would work together to slow global warming during this decade and ensure that the Glasgow talks result in progress. The framework agreement was announced by US climate envoy John Kerry and his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua at the Glasgow UN climate conference (COP26). The world’s two biggest greenhouse gas emitters said they would take “enhanced climate actions” to meet the central goals of the 2015 Paris climate accord - limiting warming to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius beyond pre-industrial levels, and if possible, not to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius. The agreement is titled he China-US Joint Glasgow Declaration on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s. “The two sides said they appreciated the work done so far and pledged to continue working together with all parties to strengthen the implementation of the Paris Agreement,” the Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday. “On the basis of the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities as well as taking into account national conditions, enhanced climate action will be taken to effectively address the climate crisis,” the Xinhua report said. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres on Wednesday welcomed a China-US joint declaration on enhancing climate action at the Glasgow conference. “I welcome today’s agreement between China and the USA to work together to take more ambitious #ClimateAction in this decade,” Guterres tweeted. Beijing and Washington have agreed to establish a working group on enhancing climate action in the 2020s to promote cooperation on climate change between the two countries and the multilateral processes. Chinese President Xi Jinping did not attend the UN meeting in person, delivering instead a written statement to the opening section of the summit when leaders usually give speeches. In it, he offered no additional pledges, while urging countries to keep their promises and “strengthen mutual trust and cooperation”. Xi pledged at the UN General Assembly in September that China would achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. Interestingly, the US and China had signed a climate deal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions during former president Barack Obama’s visit to China exactly seven years ago in November, 2014.