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rew reKKmffiCutting carbon emissions has emerged as a key

area of Sino-U.S. cooperation #y #mrn** **s*

here are many topics on which China andthe United States differ, but the need toreduce carbon emissions has become

a shining example of bilateral cooperation andthe future of the relationship between theworld's two largest economies. U.S. PresidentBarack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinpingon November 'l 2 announced their strongestcommitment yet on climate change-raisinghopes that the foundation for a global accordon reducing greenhouse emissions can be builtwhen representatives of more than 'l 90 na-tions meet this month in Lima, Peru, at the UN

Framework Convention on Climate Change.While the U.S.-China deal is completely

voluntary-no penalties exist for not meetingtargets-supporters described it as a historicannouncement Over the next 1 5 years, Chinapledges to reach peak emissions of globalgreenhouse gases and to increase its relianceon non-fossil fuels to 20 percent of its totalenergr. The United States commits to reducingemissions by 26-28 percentfrom 2005 levels.

'There has been a lot of reaction, every-thing from 'this is a game changef to 'this is

business as usual' and a lot of speculation ofwhether this can really be pivotal in Lima," said

Joanna Lewis, an associate professor in theScience, Technology and lnternational Aflairs

program at Georgetow. - ^ '. ersrty's EdmundA. Walsh School of Fore :- Service during a

November 24 teleconfere^ :: stonsored by theNational Committee on U.S -Crlra Relations.

While the challenges :: - r ementing theclimate change goals are s s^ 'cant, the "am-

bitious" announcemeni -.J -rctivate othernations to follow suit Lei. = =

, :.

Alex Wang, an assis::-: :-cfessor at theUCLA School of LaW we ^: . -:p beyond, call-

ing the deal "monumenra"lfs a maior step fc-,'..':. rty'ang said. "ln

addition to the targets t:.-: -:,. e been follow-up announcements. The - - ::: States pledged

$3 bittion to the Green C ^.::: :-rd and China

announced an energy p .- ---: - :: ied about acoal consumption cap. S: --:.= .-: mportantfollow-u p annou nceme n -

lmplementation is il^: -:: : -:::^ lssue, headded. Many critics ha.= :: I :-:: -^ -a has

many environmental la,. : -- -'= : . :- s thatare not enforced due to -:: - - : :-- .::: )n smand the lack ofdata cc :-: : -. : -: :-: atestcommitments are diffe-=-:---=_. =-: ::r ofa broader economic tTaa: : -*:: : - . ,', ., iomheavy industry and tor'. :- - -. ::-=- -: -: ef-flcient economic growth.

"Pressure has beer '-'.-- .'.. ^_l :.:- tl-elasttwoyearswiththep-c: :^ - : - : l JIio^.'Wang said.'There are cc - :: -, . = :--r:ct:ol-ism but the new econo- . - : . - =.. -:i-ests.There is a lot of money tc :' - : -: - i-i I earenergy economy."

China is moving clo::-:- *: .-:'"^e =

carbon tax, he said, wl^ic- .. . - : := -:.-.a--.for implementation. It s ---:::: : :- -::- -:heavy industryto red-:: =- :: :-: .. .- :

cheap and easy supply of coal around them,especially when monitoring and enforcementis nearly impossible. Making energy efficiencycost effective is essential.

The United States has faced the samechallenge, Wang said. lncreasing investmentin natural gas to make it an affordable, clean

altemative to fossil fuels has damaged the coal

lobby and helped reach emission targets.The pledge creates a major incentive for

technological solutions to create cleaner en-

ergy. Fossil fuels still provide roughly 80 percentof the world's energy and weaning countriesoff coal and oil could cause economic collapse.

Enterprising innovators who are able to marketcost-effective solutions to help Sovernments

18 BEUII{G REIIIEW DECEI,IBER 4,2014 http://www.bjreview.com

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: COOPERATION COMMITMENTS:Chinese President Xilinoine andU.S. President Barack Obarn'a attenda joint press conference followingtnetr agreement on a climate dealand other issues in talks in Beijing onNovember '12

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reach their climate change goats will have a bigadvantage.

A way forwardEnvironmental issues have been elevated in thecontext of the U.S._China relationship over thepast five years, Lewis said.

'1fs surprising to think we could have an agree.ment like this since [China and the United Sttes].s-eem

to have such different positiong,, she said."vVhen you look at the bilateml relationsnip in tfrebroader contexL climate change has arisen as theissue where we have far more in common thannot Even though there are fundamental Olsag;_ments. we still have the same goal.,.

While cooperation on climate change is be_

http./iwww.bjreview.com

coming a key foundation of the future betweenthe great powers, significant political obstaclesremain. The timing of the announcement andthe fact that it is not an enforceable agreementare significant lt would be nearly impossible forObama to pass a climate change treaty througha hostile Congress, but the nign_tevet, frignlypublic announcement of intentions .r"i'tu,a "momentum" for work that doesn,t makeheadlines Wang said. This model could be usedin other areas of bilateral relations such as ter-rorism and trade.

"l think the notion that the United Statesand China---who have been these two big play_ers on opposite sides of the fence and viewedas the biggest antagonists--were able to stand

! up together. thafs a big thing,,ToddStern, U.S. special envoy for climatechange, told reporters at a forumheld by the Center for AmericanProgress.

. The non-binding pledge mayalso be, a model for a global agree_ment for next yeais UN ClimateChange Conference in paris. The ob_jective of the 2015 conference is toachieve, for the first time in over 20years of UN negotiationg a bindingand universal agreement on climatelfrom all the nations of the world.

"The vision of an interna_tional binding agreement is wrong.Countries need to see ifs in theiiown interest and see [emission re_duction] as positive,,,Wang said.

The agreement also makesChina a maior player in the globalclimate debate. Wth a commitmentby the world's largest emitters othercountries have run out of excuses.Chinese and American emissionsrepresent 42 percent of main green_house gas emissions, and smallercountries and developing econo_mies have feared their emission cutswould be useless unless the majorplayers take action.

"l'm very interested to see if thisannouncement has some rever_berations. China is now in a position

where it is clearly the largest emitter. ti witt Ueinteresting to see if it will influence Brazil, lndiaand South Africa" Lewis said.

The United Statet as well, has run out ofexcuses to take action.

"The argument that the United Statescannot act because China won,t act has finallybegun to fade. A very understandable anxieqJthat America cannot cut carbon emissionswhile our biggest competitor keeps burningdirty enerry with no end in sight__can now bEput to rest" wrote Fred Krupp, president of theEnvironmental Defense Fund, in the Walt Street

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