China and the United States issued an important statement!Strive to triple the global installed capacity of renewable energy by 2030|Expert interpretation

On November 15, China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) publicly released the Sunshine Township Statement on Strengthening Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis (hereinafter referred to as the "Statement").

The statement said that China and the United States decided to launch the "Enhanced Climate Action Working Group in the 2020s" to engage in dialogue and cooperation to accelerate concrete climate action in the 2020s.

With regard to the energy transition, the statement noted that in the critical decade of the 2020s, the two countries support the efforts outlined in the G20 Leaders' Declaration to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030, and plan to fully accelerate the deployment of renewable energy in both countries from 2020 levels between now and 2030 to accelerate the substitution of kerosene, oil and gas power generation, so that meaningful absolute reductions in emissions from the power sector can be expected to peak after peaking.

Hu Bin, director of global climate governance research at the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development at Tsinghua University, told CBN that compared with previous statements, specific figures appear more frequently this time, which highlights the pragmatism of cooperation.

Regarding the statement "striving to triple the global installed renewable energy capacity by 2030", Hu Bin explained: "In the past, the United States was cautious about this, fearing that it would increase China's influence in the new energy sector. This time, however, the United States also seems to have expressed its approval. In the current situation between China and the United States, the determination and implementation of these specific figures are very important, showing the direction of pragmatic cooperation. ”

Hu Bin also believes that this statement is of great significance as COP28 of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is about to be held, "Historically, the climate cooperation agreement or joint statement between China and the United States has played a significant role in promoting the global climate conference and the global climate governance process. ”

The two sides agreed to relaunch the U.S.-China Energy Efficiency Forum

In terms of energy transition, the statement pointed out that the two sides agreed to restart the U.S.-China Energy Efficiency Forum to deepen exchanges on energy conservation and carbon reduction policies in key areas such as industry, buildings, transportation and equipment.

The statement said that China and the United States plan to restart bilateral energy policy and strategic dialogue, exchange on mutually agreed issues, promote track 2 activities, and strengthen practical cooperation.

The statement also noted that the two countries aim to advance at least five large-scale carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) projects in the industrial and energy sectors by 2030.

"The target of 'advancing the exploration, utilization and storage of at least five industrial and energy sectors' has not been mentioned before. This embodied change represents an important step forward. Hu Bin explained to the first financial reporter.

In terms of local cooperation, the statement noted that the United States and China will support provincial, state, and city climate cooperation in areas such as power, transportation, buildings, and waste. The two sides will promote the active participation of local governments, enterprises, think tanks and other relevant parties. The two countries will engage in policy dialogue, sharing of best practices, exchange of information and promote project cooperation through agreed regular meetings.

The United States and China plan to host a high-level event on local climate action in the first half of 2024, according to the statement. The two sides welcomed and appreciated the local cooperation already underway between the two countries, and encouraged provincial, state, and city cooperation on practical climate change.

"In addition to the numbers, cooperation at the local level has also become a bright spot. "With the Biden administration facing elections, sub-national cooperation has become an important way to achieve sustained cooperation between China and the United States." Even in the event of a change of federal government in the United States, the state government still has a great deal of independence in working with China. In addition, COP28 will host a city-led climate summit for the first time, with the participation of mayors of more than 100 cities, as well as a number of businesses and NGOs. This shows that in a tense international situation, city-to-city exchanges are a key way to achieve climate cooperation. ”

Supporting the success of COP28

It can be seen that this statement devotes a large amount of space to the efforts made by China and the United States for the success of COP28.

According to the statement, China and the United States are committed to further strengthening dialogue and collaborative efforts, and supporting the UAE presidency to successfully host COP28.

Previously, in response to the consensus reached between China and the United States on key issues related to COP, COP28 President Dr. Jaber Sultan Al Jaber extended a warm welcome.

Manish Bapna, president and CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), told CBN: "This sends a powerful message of cooperation on the existential challenges of our time. This laid the groundwork for the global climate negotiations to be held in Dubai. ”

"The most important thing now is for both countries to deliver on their commitments today to rapidly scale up renewable energy within a decade, gradually wean away from fossil fuels, reduce methane pollution, and strengthen national climate goals. Babner said.

The statement said that the United States and China will actively participate in the first global stocktake of the Paris Agreement, which is an important opportunity for parties to review the intensity, implementation and cooperation to meet the Paris Agreement's temperature target of limiting global average temperature rise to less than 2°C and working to limit it to 1.5°C, consistent with the party's determination to keep the 1.5°C goal achievable.

The statement said the two countries were committed to working together and with other parties to reach a global stocktaking decision by consensus.

The two countries believe that the decision should reflect substantial positive progress towards the goals of the Paris Agreement, including that the agreement has facilitated action by Parties and non-Party stakeholders, and that the world is clearly in a better position to follow the trajectory of temperature rise compared to no agreement, and that equity should be considered and reference to the best available science, including the latest IPCC The report should be balanced across thematic areas, including retrospective and responsive elements, and consistent with the Paris Agreement design, should reflect that achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement requires significantly increased ambition and implementation in terms of action and support in different contexts, and should be balanced in the energy transition (renewables, coal/oil/gas), carbon sinks such as forests, Non-CO2 gases such as methane, as well as low-carbon technologies, recognizing the nationally determined nature of NDCs and recalling Article 4(4) of the Paris Agreement, which encourages the 2035 economy-wide NDCs to cover all greenhouse gases, should reflect that adaptation is critical, supported by a strong decision to propose a robust framework of global adaptation targets – accelerated adaptation, including targeting/ indicators to enhance adaptation effectiveness, provide early warning systems for developing country Parties, and strengthen key areas (e.g. food, water, infrastructure, health and ecosystems), should note that developed countries expect to achieve the $100 billion climate finance target by 2023, reiterate the urge to at least double the adaptation finance provided by developed country Parties, look forward to the adoption of new collective quantified finance targets at COP 29, and align financial flows with the goals of the Paris Agreement, should welcome and appreciate the Transitional Committee's recommendation to establish a financial arrangement to address loss and damage, including the establishment of a fund for this purpose, and emphasize the important role of international cooperation, including that the global nature of the climate crisis requires the widest possible cooperation, which is a key enabler for ambitious mitigation action and climate-resilient development.

"Climate adaptation is another important point in the statement. "In the past, developed countries have always focused on "mitigation" over "adaptation" in international climate negotiations, because it means acknowledging historical responsibilities and helping developing countries strengthen capacity building, etc., and they face more pressure in climate negotiations." But now, adaptation measures, including early warning measures, are on the agenda, which China and the United Nations have long been working towards. This statement reflects this and shows China's important role and influence in the international arena, which is a successful development. ”