US and China Commit to Boost Renewable Energy Use in lieu of Fossil Fuels ahead of Biden-Xi Meeting
US and China commit to enhancing renewable energy and reviving climate cooperation ahead of Biden-Xi summit, aiming to combat the urgent climate crisis and reduce dependence on fossil fuels
The United States and China have agreed to restart a working group on climate collaboration and committed to significantly increasing the use of renewable energy. This announcement was made on Wednesday in anticipation of a leaders summit in San Francisco, highlighting the joint efforts of the world's two biggest polluters to address the climate emergency despite their geopolitical differences. Prior to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, President Joe Biden of the United States and President Xi Jinping of China are scheduled to have their first meeting in a year, with the hope of improving their strained relationship.
Cooperation on climate change has been considered a positive aspect in the challenging US-China relationship, which has been strained by trade tensions, technological disputes, human rights issues, and geopolitical conflicts. However, this positive aspect had recently deteriorated when Beijing discontinued climate discussions with Washington as a response to a high-ranking US visit to Taiwan last year.
On Wednesday, the US State Department and China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment independently released a statement. This statement came after several days of meetings between US climate envoy John Kerry and his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua at the Sunnylands retreat in California earlier this month. The two envoys also had meetings in Beijing during the summer to engage in discussions.
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The two parties agreed to activate a dormant bilateral working group to foster dialog and collaboration in implementing tangible climate measures during this decade. Kerry and Xie initially introduced the idea of this working group at the 2021 United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, but its activities have been suspended since August of the previous year.
Furthermore, the statement pledges a substantial increase in the use of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and battery storage in order to meet the energy demands of each nation's extensive power sector. This shift aims to replace environmentally harmful fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas.
China and the US have made a commitment to significantly increase the use of renewable energy in their economies by the end of 2030, aiming to replace coal, oil, and gas. They have also pledged to collaborate in tripling global renewable energy capacity by 2030 and take active measures to reduce emissions from their respective power sectors during the next decade. Both countries have agreed to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrofluorocarbons, to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Exceeding this threshold could have severe consequences for humans and ecosystems, including heatwaves and droughts that will be challenging to adapt to.
For the first time, China has officially declared its intention to regulate the release of all greenhouse gas emissions, not limited to carbon dioxide as stated in its current climate goals. A Chinese climate expert in Beijing, who preferred to remain anonymous due to lack of media approval, highlighted this significant development.
In recent years, scientists have focused on methane as a key greenhouse gas to address, given its short-term warming potential that is approximately 80 times greater than carbon dioxide. China recently unveiled a plan to decrease methane emissions. However, experts have criticized the plan for lacking definitive targets and being relatively ineffective.
A car wreckage is seen amidst the aftermath of the devastating wildfires in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii on Friday, August 18, 2023. (Photo credit: Bryan Anselm/New Jersey State Council for the Arts Fellowship/Redux)
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"In the present political climate, both parties have made considerable efforts to identify practical and viable areas for progress, displaying a highly pragmatic approach," the climate scholar in Beijing commented.
According to Li Shuo, director of the China Climate Hub at the Asia Society Policy Institute, China's commitment to establishing emission targets for all greenhouse gases is arguably the most significant aspect highlighted in the statement.
"Carbon dioxide constitutes just one of the greenhouse gases, with methane and other non-carbon dioxide gases still making up a substantial portion of China's total greenhouse gas emissions," he emphasized.
"Excluding these gases would result in an incomplete assessment, as it overlooks a significant proportion of the nation's overall emissions."
China previously pledged to reach its peak emissions "before 2030," but has not provided a specific timeframe for achieving this goal. However, indications suggest that China's extensive development of wind and solar energy may begin to replace coal, resulting in a potential decrease in emissions starting next year, which could signal a broader downward trend.
Despite the commitment to significantly increase renewable energy sources, China has not explicitly stated its intention to phase out or reduce its reliance on coal, which is the most environmentally harmful form of fossil fuel.
Belchatow Power Station, is the world's largest lignite coal-fired power station, on November 29, 2018.
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The Sunnylands statement is seen as a crucial step in aligning the efforts of the United States and China before COP28, the annual UN climate conference taking place in Dubai three weeks later. The engagement between the world's two largest emitters is closely monitored by other countries, as it often sets the tone and pace for the conference, making it a significant factor for meaningful global progress, according to Li from the Asia Society.
The challenging relationship between the US and China means that the climate agreement between them will simply establish a starting point, rather than set the overall tone. COP 28 will have a significant task ahead of it.
While the US-China discussions will provide some stability in the political arena, there are still vital matters that need significant political efforts, such as the phase-out of fossil fuels. Additionally, China should evaluate how it can bring further ambition to the COP. One positive step would be to halt the approval of new coal power projects.
