US-China surprise as they unite to protect climate

At the UN Conference on Climate Change COP26 China and the United States team up and pledged to work harder to protect the environment

A summary of The U.S.-China joint Glasgow Declaration on enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s

1.- The United States and China recall their Joint Statement Addressing the Climate Crisis of April 17th, 2021. They are committed to its effective implementation and appreciate the intensive work that has taken place to date and the value of continued discussion. 

2.- The United States and China, alarmed by reports including the Working Group I Contribution to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report released on August 9th, 2021, further recognize the seriousness and urgency of the climate crisis. They are committed to tackling it through their respective accelerated actions in the critical decade of the 2020s, as well as through cooperation in multilateral processes. 

3.- The United States and China recall their firm commitment to work together and with other Parties to strengthen implementation of the Paris Agreement. The two sides also recall the Agreement’s aim in accordance with Article 2 to hold the global average temperature increase to well below 2 degrees C and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees C.

4.- Moving forward, the United States and China welcome the significant efforts being made around the world to address the climate crisis.

5.- The two sides are intent on seizing this critical moment to engage in expanded individual and combined efforts to accelerate the transition to a global net zero economy.

6.- The two sides recall their intention to continue discussing, both on the road to COP 26 and beyond, concrete actions in the 2020s to reduce emissions aimed at keeping the Paris Agreement-aligned temperature limit within reach.

7.- The two sides intend to cooperate on: 

• A.- regulatory frameworks and environmental standards related to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases in the 2020s; 
• B.- maximizing the societal benefits of the clean energy transition; 
• C.- policies to encourage decarbonization and electrification of end-use sectors;  
• D.- key areas related to the circular economy, such as green design and renewable resource utilization; and
• E.- deployment and application of technology such as CCUS and direct air capture.

8.- Recognizing specifically the significant role that emissions of methane play in increasing temperatures, both countries consider increased action to control and reduce such emissions to be a matter of necessity in the 2020s. To this end:

• A.- The two countries intend to cooperate to enhance the measurement of methane emissions; to exchange information on their respective policies and programs for strengthening management and control of methane; and to foster joint research into methane emission reduction challenges and solutions.
• B.- The United States has announced the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan.
• C.- The two sides intend to do the following before COP 27:

• I.- Develop additional measures to enhance methane emission control, at both the national and sub-national levels.
• II.- China intends to develop a comprehensive and ambitious National Action Plan on methane, aiming to achieve a significant effect on methane emissions control and reductions in the 2020s.
• D.- The United States and China intend to convene a meeting in the first half of 2022 to focus on the specifics of enhancing measurement and mitigation of methane.

9.- In order to reduce CO2 emissions:

• A.- The two countries intend to cooperate on: 
• I.- Policies that support the effective integration of high shares of low-cost intermittent renewable energy; 
• II.- Transmission policies that encourage efficient balancing of electricity supply and demand across broad geographies; 
• III.- Distributed generation policies that encourage integration of solar, storage, and other clean power solutions closer to electricity users; and 
• IV.- Energy efficiency policies and standards to reduce electricity waste.
• B.- The United States has set a goal to reach 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035.
• C.- China will phase down coal consumption during the 15th Five Year Plan and make best efforts to accelerate this work.

10.- The two countries welcome the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use.

11.- The two sides commit on the elimination of support for unabated international thermal coal power generation.

12.- Both countries support an ambitious, balanced, and inclusive outcome on mitigation, adaptation, and support. Sending a clear signal that the Parties to the Paris Agreement: 

• A.- Are committed to tackling the climate crisis by strengthening implementation of the Paris Agreement; 
• B.- Recall the Paris Agreement’s aim to hold the global average temperature increase to well below 2 degrees C and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees C and are committed to pursuing such efforts; 
• C.- Recognize the significance of adaptation in addressing the climate crisis, including further discussion on the global goal on adaptation and promoting its effective implementation, as well as the scaling up of financial and capacity-building support for adaptation in developing countries; and 
• D.- Resolve to ensure that their collective and individual efforts are informed by, inter alia, the best available science. 

13.- Both countries recognize the importance of the commitment made by developed countries to the goal of mobilizing jointly $100b per year by 2020 and annually through 2025 to address the needs of developing countries, in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation, and stress the importance of meeting that goal as soon as possible. 

14.- Both countries will work cooperatively to complete at COP 26 the implementing arrangements (“rulebook”) for Articles 6 and 13 of the Paris Agreement, as well as common time frames for NDCs.  

15.- Both countries intend to communicate 2035 NDCs in 2025. 

16.- The two sides intend to establish a “Working Group on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s,” which will meet regularly to address the climate crisis and advance the multilateral process, focusing on enhancing concrete actions in this decade.

Well established commitments

The agreements and commitments pledged by China and the US may include, inter alia, continued policy and technical exchanges, identification of programs and projects in areas of mutual interest, meetings of governmental and non-governmental experts, facilitating participation by local governments, enterprises, think tanks, academics, and other experts, exchanging updates on their respective national efforts, considering the need for additional efforts, and reviewing the implementation of the Joint Statement and this Joint Declaration.

The Joint Declaration surprised many as the two world super-powers jointly issued the agreement at the COP26.