WASHINGTON — John Kerry, President Biden’s special envoy for climate change, announced on Thursday that he will be traveling to China next week to resume global warming negotiations between the world’s two largest polluters.
Mr. Kerry’s upcoming trip will mark the first climate discussions between the United States and China since August, when talks were abruptly halted by Beijing in response to Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan while she was House speaker. These talks come at a time when both nations, as well as the rest of the planet, are experiencing record-breaking high temperatures due to the burning of fossil fuels and the El Niño climate pattern.
In an interview, Mr. Kerry emphasized the need for genuine cooperation, stating, “China and the United States are the two largest economies in the world and we’re also the two largest emitters. It’s clear that we have a special responsibility to find common ground.”
This will be Mr. Kerry’s third visit to China as climate envoy, following visits by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen aimed at improving the strained relationship between the two countries. Mr. Kerry intends to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, and other high-ranking officials during the week of July 16.
China and the United States are also the largest investors in clean energy, making their policies crucial in determining whether the world can avoid the worst consequences of global warming.
However, there are significant disagreements between the two countries regarding the pace at which they should reduce their fossil fuel emissions, which are contributing to dangerous global warming.
Republicans, who have criticized the visits of Mr. Blinken and Ms. Yellen to China, have also denounced Mr. Kerry’s trip, accusing him of undermining the United States.
Representative James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, stated, “Despite not being confirmed by the U.S. Senate, John Kerry is still negotiating with the Chinese Communist Party to push a radical Green New Deal agenda detrimental to American interests.” He further accused Mr. Kerry of making secretive deals with the Chinese.
Mr. Kerry is scheduled to appear before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs oversight panel next Thursday.
Under President Biden, the United States has committed to reducing emissions by approximately 50% by 2030. The Inflation Reduction Act, passed by Congress last year, allocates at least $370 billion towards clean energy sources such as wind and solar power. When combined with stricter pollution regulations proposed by Mr. Biden, this legislation brings the U.S. closer to achieving its emissions reduction goal.
While China’s emissions continue to rise, President Xi Jinping has pledged that the country will reach its peak carbon pollution by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. China currently burns more coal than the rest of the world combined and approved the construction of more new coal power plants last year than in any other year over the past seven years.
However, scientists warn that industrialized nations must make a drastic shift…
2023-07-06 19:11:51
Link from www.nytimes.com
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