WashU Fudan Youth MOU

8/8/2019 WashU Fudan Youth MOU

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Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63130-4899

Memorandum of UnderstandingBETWEEN STUDENT DELEGATES FROM THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF

CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AT THE FIRST U.S.-CHINAUNDERGRADUATE CONFERENCE ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND

SUSTAINABILITY CONVENED AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST.LOUIS!

Recognizing that the United States and China need to take the lead in fighting climate change on a global scale;Understanding that current commitments are not sufficient to avoid the catastrophicconsequences of climate change;Aspiring to establish a sounder relationship between China and the United States whilerecognizing the role and responsibility of students to initiate dialogue between the twocountries;The delegates at the U.S.-China Undergraduate Conference on Climate Change andSustainability, hereinafter referred to as the Delegates, representing the People'sRepublic of China and the United States of America, hereinafter referred to as the "Parties," in order to support the Sixteenth Conference of Parties (COP-16) meeting ofthe United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), convened atWashington University-St. Louis, and formally signed in November 2010, hereinafterreferred to as the "MOU," have reached the following understandings.

Section 1

Points of Mutual Understanding on Climate Mitigation Actions

1. We acknowledge that global emissions should be capped at a level that will limit the increase of global temperatures to less than 2 degrees Celsius.

2. Current scientific understanding on climate change says that the maximum level ofatmospheric carbon dioxide equivalents necessary to prevent this 2 degree C increase is450 parts per million. However, as additional knowledge is discovered about the climatesystem, we realize that this target of 450 ppm may be insufficient and need to be loweredin order to prevent a 2 degree C rise.3. We agree to actively work to increase carbon sink capacity through reforestationcampaigns, and to encourage international collaboration on this effort through mechanisms such as the REDD program.


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4. We agree to collaborate in order to develop renewable energy, sustainabletransportation, and efficient building practices.

5. We agree to move forward under the context of the Ad-hoc Working Group on Long-Term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA), and acknowledge that each nation sharescommon goals but differentiated responsibilities.

6. We agree to meet on an annual basis in order to reevaluate mitigation efforts and goalsunder the context of the most recent climate science.

7. Regarding Current Existing Actions:

a. The United States should continue working towards achieving strong, domesticclimate change legislation. In the interim before this legislation, the United Statesshould curb its greenhouse gas emissions through the use of the Clean Air Act andcommitments by the autonomous governments of states, cities, and othermunicipalities.

b. China should reduce its carbon intensity per unit of GDP by 40 to 45 percent by2020 from 2005 levels. In addition, China will transition 15 percent of its total powermix to alternative energy sources by 2020.

8. Regarding Future Actions:

a. The United States should strive to pass comprehensive climate and energylegislation by 2015. This legislation should meet specific scientific targetsrecommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and otherinternationally respected scientific organizations.

b. United States legislation should include an ambitious midterm carbon reductiontarget for 2025.

c. China should pledge to enact its own comprehensive climate change policy with aspecific long-term 2050 target if the United States passes comprehensive climate and energy legislation by 2015. Chinas policy should meet specific scientific targetsrecommended by the IPCC and other internationally respected scientificorganizations.

d. These policies, in tandem with international policies set by the rest of the UNFCCC, should set a course for reaching 450 ppm by 2050. These comprehensivepolicies should include final emissions targets, the year emission will peak, andschedules to transition off of fossil fuels based energy and means of monitoring anddefining progress.


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e. Each country acknowledges that this agreement should serve as a strong incentivefor cooperation and action, and should help to spur legislation from the complicated U.S. political landscape.

f. Each country acknowledges that these climate policies should not hurt Chinas ability to continue to develop sustainably.

Section 2

Points of Mutual Understanding on Financial Assistance to aid DevelopingCountries in Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change

1. The Parties hereby establish continued support of the following statements from theCopenhagen Accord:

a. The prioritization of funding to least-developed countries (LDCs) and small-islandstates.

b. The establishment of the Green Climate Fund to begin at $10 Billion USD per year from 2010-2012, increasing to $100 Billion USD per year by 2020.

c. Common but differentiated responsibilities of each nation.

d. The High-Level United Nations Advisory Board should continue itsresponsibilities of supervising and distributing funds.

2. Furthermore, we have agreed upon the following policies:a. China along with other developing nations should be on the receiving list from theGreen Climate Fund after small-island states and least-developed countries.

b. The United States should donate 20 percent of the Green Climate Fund.

c. China should begin to donate to the Green Climate Fund once either of thefollowing two conditions will be met.

i. Chinas CO2 emissions per capita or GDP per capita reaches a certain level.

ii. China should begin donating after a certain time period.

d. Clause 2 is contingent upon Chinas transfer of finished green technology productsthat are protected from reverse-engineering to least-developed countries.

3. In regard to administering funding, we have agreed that public financing should beprioritized over private financing. We also agree that there should be transparency in thefunding process.


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Section 3Points of Mutual Understanding on the Measurement, Reporting, and Verificationof Mitigation Actions

1. A committee within the UNFCCC should be created with the sole purpose of agreeingon the specific international standards of measurement.

2. This committee should:

a. Be comprised of an equal representation of scholars/scientists from every party tothe UNFCCC. These representatives will be appointed/elected by the individualparty.

b. Determine international MRV standards. These measurements will be taken usingthe same procedure in each country.c. Be responsible for the collection, storage, and dissemination of annual reports using this data.

d. Keep a registry of MRV data of each country, supplied by each nation and open topublic surveillance. This data should be collected from national governments ornationally approved organizations. It should be up to each nation to collect data thatcomplies with these international standards, with exemptions or assistance for least-developed countries.

3. All processes from all sectors should be subject to measurement, reporting, andverification.4. Participating nations to the committee should, under the evaluation and suggestions ofsaid committee, be able to opt out of measurements deemed incongruent with nationalsecurity issues. All nations should submit at least ! of data requested by the committee.The data not released should be at the nations discretion.

5. Verification can be performed on the submitted data with cooperation from scientificexperts from the country under verification.

Section 4Points of Mutual Understanding on Technology Transfer and Capacity Building

1.The Parties recognize that the principal hindrance to technology transfer is the cost and the speed of transfer. As a result the relative cost of technology for a developingcountry is influenced by the protection of intellectual property rights and the wealthof the developing country. The following mechanisms should be received to partial


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solutions to these hindrances and the Parties recommend that further discussionshould follow.2.The Parties hereby lend support to the establishment of a Green Climate Fund (GCF)as proposed by the Copenhagen Accords to be administered under the UNFCCC. TheGCF will be chaired by a body of UN experts, representing these sectors listed below.3.The GCF will be divided by wind, nuclear, solar, carbon sequestration,biomass/biofuel, hydropower, geothermal, and other non-fossil fuel energy sources.Their task is to advise the United Nations on how funding should be distributed basedon these aforementioned sectors as well as the necessity and the capacity to utilize thefunds. The body of UN experts will present their findings to the General Assemblyand the General Assembly will vote.4.The Parties recommend the establishment of Joint Development Programs in the goalof increasing equal technology transfer between nations. Each country will berequired to meet a certain percentage target as proposed by a research and fundingcapacity measurement to be decided by participating countries in the jointdevelopment program. Each country will have equal intellectual property rights tothe results of the research.5.The Parties recommend increased collaboration on previously outlined research.

Section 5Points of Mutual Understanding on the Role of Market Mechanisms

!"#Both Parties should collaborate to create an informational exchange on regional carbon#trade program best practices with respect to operation and setup, including theappropriate allotment of credits.

2. The United States should advocate for streamlining the registration process by theUnited Nations Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in orderto reduce transaction costs, facilitate rapid scaling up, and improve the transparency ofthe application review process. In return, China should provide commensurate assistanceto the least-developed countries and African nations in the planning, construction, andcompletion of CDM-eligible projects by providing the following means of support,subject to change in years:

a.40 percent knowledge sharingb.40 percent capacity building via infrastructure developmentc.20 percent loan support


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3. Both parties believe that greater transparency is necessary throughout the entire CDMprocess, from registration to approval to project management, in order to ensure that emission targets are reached.

4. China should voluntarily stop the submission of HFC-23 destruction projects for CDMas part of a larger package of compromises, contingent upon the United States firstadopting a cap on carbon emissions. China should however, continue the destruction ofHFC-23 regardless of the reception of CDM credits.

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WashU Fudan Youth MOU

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