U.S., CHINA ANNOUNCE COOPERATION ON CCUS, OTHER CLIMATE ISSUES

Tamar Hallerman
GHG Monitor
7/12/13

The U.S. and China unveiled a set of new initiatives this week aimed at limiting climate change, including a provision to increase carbon capture, utilization and storage in the two countries, which together account for more than 40 percent of the world’s coal consumption. “China and the United States will cooperate to overcome barriers to deploying CCUS by implementing several large-scale, integrated CCUS projects in both countries,” according to a fact sheet released by the State Department this week. “These demonstrations will engage companies in both countries and allow for enhanced trade and commerce.”

Chinese and U.S. negotiators presented the plan during the opening session of the annual U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue, held this week in Washington. In addition to CCUS, the countries said they would also collaborate to improve greenhouse gas emissions data collection and management, promote the development of smart grids, increase energy efficiency in buildings, industry and transport and reduce emissions from heavy-duty and other vehicles. Delegates said they would work to develop implementation plans for the five actions by October. They said they would also do more to enhance climate-related policy dialogues through venues like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and other bilateral arenas.

U.S., China Step Up Cooperative Efforts

The initiatives were created by the U.S.-China Working Group on Climate Change, established earlier this spring during Secretary of State John Kerry’s first trip to China. Citing the “increasing dangers presented by climate change” and the “inadequacy of the global response,” the rhetoric creating the working group constituted some of the strongest yet from the two countries, which have in recent years dragged their feet on making legally-binding emissions reduction agreements on the international stage, frequently citing each other’s lack of concrete action as their reason for not acting.

But in recent months, increased cooperation and action has been more evident. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a high-profile agreement last month aimed at phasing down the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a potent greenhouse gas used most commonly as refrigerants. Both countries have also tentatively signed onto the UNFCCC’s 2011 Durban Accords, under which both countries agreed to eventually take on legally-binding reduction targets beginning in 2020, while also moving to limit greenhouse gas emissions domestically via a pilot cap-and-trade program in China and expected emissions performance standards for new and existing power plants in the U.S.

Some observers have expressed cautious optimism that the recent agreements could lead to cooperation between the U.S. and China on higher-profile climate-related treaties. The report from the U.S.-China Working Group “was prepared mindful of the overwhelming scientific consensus about anthropogenic climate change and its worsening impacts, as well as the urgent need to intensify global efforts to combat climate change,” the State Department said this week. “Ambitious domestic and cooperative action by China and the United States is more critical than ever.”