International: U.S.-China Glasgow Joint Declaration Sends 'Strong and Clear Signal'

Berlin, November 12 (China News Service) -- In response to the "Glasgow Joint Declaration on Strengthening Climate Action in the 2020s" issued by China and the United States during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, a number of international experts and representatives of international organizations attending the meeting told the China News Agency reporter in an interview that this means that the world's two largest economies will further work together to cope with climate change and help the world jointly achieve the goal of temperature control. It also sends a "strong and clear signal" that China and the United States can overcome geopolitical tensions and achieve cooperation in the multilateral process.

"The signal from the U.S.-China Glasgow Joint Declaration is welcome." Cassie Flynn, climate change strategy adviser at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), told reporters that the two countries jointly pledged to take action in areas such as coal and methane and would jointly support the elimination of illegal deforestation around the world, which will further promote broader climate action and related dialogue, "In the field of addressing climate change, the world needs the success of the Us-China relationship."

"The release of the U.S.-China Joint Declaration means that the world's two largest economies will further join hands in addressing climate change, which undoubtedly helps the global momentum to jointly achieve the goal of climate control." Li Shuo, senior policy adviser at Greenpeace, said.

"The Joint Declaration is undoubtedly good news, and it shows that the United States and China will not allow geopolitical tensions to limit cooperation in the field of climate, which is a major message from the political level." Bernice Lee, executive director of the Hoffman Centre for Sustainable Resource Economy at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), commented on the positive signals of the Joint Declaration in an interview with China News Agency.

"As Xie Zhenhua, China's special envoy for climate change, said, there is more consensus than difference between China and the United States, which provides great potential for cooperation." Guo Jiangwen, senior researcher of the Energy Environment and Resources Program at the Royal Institute of International Affairs and director of the China-UK Climate Risk Assessment Cooperation Project, pointed out that the joint declaration once again shows that cooperation is the only option for China and the United States. Through cooperation, the two great powers can achieve many important things that benefit both countries.

"At a time when climate change is becoming an increasingly pressing challenge, this joint declaration can send a strong and clear signal and confidence to the parties to the Paris Agreement that it is time to unite and work closely together to address the common challenges posed by climate change, which will contribute to the success of COP26 and benefit recent climate-related negotiations and cooperation." Guo Jiangwen said.

"One of the things I heard as I followed the negotiation process was, 'Whatever China promises, people can be confident that China will deliver on its promises.'" She said that China's message at COP26 is that as a committed multilateralist player, it is focused on implementing commitments and goals, and has invested great efforts to achieve them.

The Joint Declaration mentions that the two sides plan to establish a "Working Group on Strengthening Climate Action in the 2020s", which will meet regularly to address the climate crisis and advance multilateral processes, focusing on strengthening concrete actions during the Decade. For the landing of this mechanism, Li Yongyi said that he can have confidence. She pointed out that the United States and China have in fact cooperated within a number of working groups in the field of climate under the framework of the Group of Twenty (G20) and other countries. "I cannot say how confident I can be in the follow-up geopolitical developments, but I think the relevant elements of the Joint Declaration will be implemented in a way that overcomes geopolitical factors."

Foreign media also paid attention to the joint declaration that the United States set a goal of achieving 100% zero-carbon pollution electricity by 2035, while China announced that it will gradually reduce coal consumption during the "Tenth Five-Year Plan" period and do its best to accelerate this work.

In this regard, Guo Jiangwen pointed out that China's climate action is first based on China's own sustainable development needs, including the inherent needs of domestic energy transformation and ecological civilization construction. "Clearly, what China is facing is not simply reducing emissions or improving energy efficiency, but a revolution in the entire socio-economic development system, including the energy system."

"This declaration is China's contribution to global climate action, and it is also in line with China's national conditions and the 'safe and orderly, safe and carbon reduction' approach proposed in the Carbon Peak Action Plan by 2030." She said.

As COP26 draws to a close, Li Shuo also reminds the world that it needs to understand that relying solely on China and the United States is not enough at the moment, and it needs to gain momentum from all aspects. "The manifesto stresses the need to leave Glasgow with a strong answer to address the gap in ambitions. This is a matter of life and death for fragile States. (End)

Source: China News Network