Beijing, November 12 (Reporter Lang Lang) On the evening of November 10, local time, China and the United States jointly issued the "Glasgow Joint Declaration on Strengthening Climate Action in the 2020s" (hereinafter referred to as the "Declaration"), re-mentioning that the temperature rise control is below 2 °C, and strives to limit it to 1.5 °C. China has also made it clear that it will formulate a national action plan for methane, which is considered to be a more feasible outline of action.
What signals did China and the United States send to reach the Declaration? What are some things to watch? What impact will it have on the global community as well as on the U.S. and Chinese economies? On the 11th, Chai Qimin, director of the Strategic Planning Department of the National Climate Strategy Center, was interviewed by China News Network "China New Observation" column for interpretation.
Draft: Zhang Jianyuan
Excerpts from the interview are as follows:
China News Network: It has been more than 5 years since China joined the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and now China and the United States have reached a joint declaration on strengthening climate action, re-proposing that the temperature rise control is below 2 °C and striving to limit it to 1.5 °C. What does it mean?
Chai Qimin: Judging from the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the situation of climate change is already very urgent.
We originally thought that climate change may be more about the sustainable development of future generations, but it has now become a climate crisis that contemporary people urgently need to face. Judging from the current data, whether it is the rate of temperature rise or the greenhouse gas emission space, the next 10-20 years is a very important window.
The two countries reaffirm this goal in the hope that it will be truly put into practice. UN Environment publishes an annual "Emission Gap Report", and at present, the action targets of countries are still not enough to achieve the 1.5 °C temperature rise control target, and they need to be continuously improved.
The Declaration points out that China and the United States want to set the target again by 2035 in 2025, in fact, they also hope to continue to strengthen the action on climate change in the 10-20 year window.
As the world's largest developing and developed countries, Respectively, China and the United States can push the global climate process forward faster and better.
China News Network: What other points of attention are there in the Declaration?
Chai: First of all, for the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, china and the United States have shown common positions on market mechanisms, transparency, and a common time frame for nationally determined contributions on the implementation rules under the Paris Agreement.
The consensus between China and the United States on these issues can greatly promote the Glasgow United Nations Climate Change Conference to form a phased outcome. When there is disagreement on an issue, one might look at what the positions of China and the United States are, and if the two countries have a consensus on this issue, it may become a global consensus.
In the second aspect, China and the United States have set a list of key areas of cooperation for the next decade. Specifically, it involves reducing methane emissions, decarbonizing power systems, reducing coal consumption, and reducing deforestation.
These aspects actually outline the future in which China and the United States may act together in these areas. Whether it is policy standards or the proposal of new goals for the future, there will be progress.
At the same time, the two countries also plan to establish a "Working Group on Strengthening Climate Action in the 21st Century and 2020s" to conduct regular communication on future issues. Dialogue is a very important way for China and the United States to reduce contradictions and frictions, especially on climate change. The establishment of this group will undoubtedly play a crucial role in Sino-US cooperation on climate change in the coming years.
Infographic: The Chinese flag and the American flag. Image source: People's Vision
China News Network: There are some sayings that the Declaration is more pragmatic, and if the proposal of China's "double carbon" goal is regarded as the beginning of a "systemic change", then this declaration is a clarion call for action.
Chai Qimin: I don't agree with that statement.
Our own domestic policies and objectives are put forward by ourselves, in light of our country's stage of development and the broader international context.
In terms of policy implementation, we have done a good job of top-level design, such as the "Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on The Complete, Accurate and Comprehensive Implementation of the New Development Concept to Do a Good Job in Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality" issued on September 22, and the "Carbon Peak action plan before 2030" released in October, all of which are talking about how to implement China's "carbon peak and carbon neutrality" goal. There is both political mobilization and concrete action measures.
The "Declaration" issued this time talks more about cooperation and some consensus, views, and positions of China and the United States on international issues. It does not go beyond the actions that China is already taking, but more on putting many of the existing actions of the two countries into the Declaration as an important area of cooperation between the two countries.
In the past period of time, Sino-US relations have encountered some twists and turns, and there have been some frictions. In the field of climate change, in order to promote all mankind to better cope with common challenges, the two countries are indeed more pragmatic and are moving in the opposite direction.
The Declaration reflects more of the content of international cooperation, and it is exaggerated to say that it is a clarion call for action in our country. We are already putting it into action.
China News Network: The Declaration proposes that China will formulate a national action plan for methane, which is considered to be the most important statement made by China in this field. Which industries will this plan have an impact on? How will people's lives change?
Chai Qimin: Methane emissions mainly come from coal mining, oil and gas mining, and waste disposal.
China's energy structure is biased towards coal, which is a limitation of resource endowment. So in the last few five-year plans, we have been actively controlling methane emissions.
As a developing country, China's basic data on methane emission control is weak, and there are still some shortcomings and deficiencies in monitoring, and capacity building in this area should be made up. Developing countries like China need some time to strengthen their governance capacity in this area.
This plan mainly has a certain impact on the energy industry, coal industry and oil and gas industry. The lives of ordinary people will not be particularly affected, because methane emissions are mainly produced in the upstream mining stage. Moreover, with the strengthening of relevant measures, it will also produce certain economic benefits, reduce emissions, and utilize methane energy resources. Therefore, these emission reductions have economic, social and environmental synergies.
Data map: Zhao Gongshan is located in Yutang Street, Dujiangyan City, Sichuan Province, from early November to early December every year, which is the best time to enjoy the color forest. Photo courtesy of the Propaganda Department of the Dujiangyan Municipal PARTY Committee
China News Network: China's emission reduction action is a profound economic and social change. The Declaration proposes that China and the United States accelerate their transition to global net zero economies in a decisive decade. What impact will this have on the global community as well as on the U.S.-China economy and society? What opportunities and challenges will it bring to the development of the new energy industry?
Chai Qimin: "Carbon peaking, carbon neutrality" is a broad and profound economic and social systemic change.
Now that both China and the United States have established carbon neutrality commitments and net zero emissions, the most important thing to do next is action. The impact on the global and U.S. economies is twofold.
On the one hand, high-emission industries will be subject to more policy constraints in the future, or their production costs will increase. Emerging industries, such as photovoltaics, wind power, new energy vehicles, energy storage, hydrogen energy, green building materials, etc., will have better development. Investment in the global energy transition, for example, is growing, reaching more than $500 billion this year.
For our country, if we can do a good job in strategic deployment and grasp the rhythm of transformation, in fact, the future is more opportunity than challenge. In terms of related industries, China has a comparative advantage. For example, in terms of new energy, our installed capacity and power generation are the largest in the world; at the same time, the amount of investment and the number of patents are also the largest in the world.
Accelerating the transition to a net zero economy is good for both China and the United States, it is not a zero-sum game, it is a win-win situation, especially a historic opportunity for the future industrial and technological revolution.
China News Network: China and the United States have differences in many fields, but today, they have found common ground in the biggest challenges facing mankind.
Chai Qimin: Climate change is a common challenge for all mankind. One country alone cannot solve global problems. Therefore, win-win cooperation between China and the United States on climate change is the only correct way out.
China has always shown great sincerity in cooperating on climate change. In the past, the Us side may have been overpolitical on many issues.
If China and the United States can truly promote substantive cooperation, it will be a great thing for the global response to climate change. Therefore, we still hold a cautiously optimistic attitude towards future Sino-US cooperation.
Although there may be some twists and turns in the future, especially in the United States, there is also a two-party political rotation. But in general, win-win cooperation in the future is king. (End)
Interviewees:
Qimin Chai, Director of the Strategic Planning Department of the National Climate Strategy Center, Adjunct Researcher of the Center for Modern Management Research of Tsinghua University, Deputy Director and Visiting Professor of the Research Center for Green Finance and Sustainable Development of the University of International Business and Economics, Visiting Professor of Guizhou Institute of Technology, Visiting Scholar of Stanford University, and Member of the Global Climate Strategy Committee. As a member of the government delegation, he has participated in the United Nations climate change negotiations for a long time, and as the main author, he has participated in the writing of policy documents such as the long-term greenhouse gas low emission development strategy (carbon neutrality vision) in the middle of this century, China's nationally determined contribution, the special plan for addressing climate change, the national work plan for controlling greenhouse gas emissions, and the carbon dioxide emission peak action plan, and the achievements have won the Environmental Protection Science and Technology Award, the National Development and Reform Commission Excellent Research Achievement Award, and the Energy Soft Science Research Outstanding Achievement Award for many times.
Source: China News Network