COP26: The agreement between China and the United States is raising expectations again

China and the United States (USA), the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases, were announced in the last hours during COP26’s work in Glasgow, Scotland, which revived some hope two days before the end of the United States. Climate Conference of Nations (UN). This is a joint declaration to strengthen climate action.

“The document contains strong reports of dangerous studies by scientists, an urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and speed up efforts to get there,” US special envoy John Kerry, a former presidential candidate, told reporters. A series of important actions for this decade, when they are needed.

“We can all dedicate ourselves to the path to green, low carbon and sustainable growth,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said at a video conference at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit (APEC). Xi Jinping. However, he did not directly mention the agreement with the United States signed in Glasgow.

According to the Chinese ambassador to COP26, the commitment came as a result of nearly three dozen meetings over the past ten months.

According to the United Nations, the world is on a “catastrophic” path towards 2.7 degrees Celsius warming by the end of this century, which could lead to increasingly catastrophic weather events. In practice, in a joint statement, the Chinese and Americans pledged to do more to prevent global warming. They do not provide details of precise actions: for example, they promise to “take reinforced measures to raise ambitions by 2020” and renew the commitment to the Paris Agreement goals to increase planetary temperatures “far below”. Reaches solid ° C and, if possible, 1.5 தொடர்புடைய C, corresponding to the pre-industrial period.

Representatives from Beijing and Washington promised to work more in Glasgow. [das emissões poluentes], Adaptation and Support ”for less developed countries.

Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden are scheduled to hold video conference talks next week.

“Important Step”

This is “an important step in the right direction”. This is how United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres responded during the Sino-US Memorandum of Understanding.

“Beyond the COP, it’s important to the world,” said Franz Timmermans, vice president of the European Commission, in a statement to the French Press.

The reactions to the compromise between the Americans and the Chinese are alarming. NGOs underestimate what they see as an encouraging understanding of the UN and the European Union (EU). According to Greenpeace, an NGO, the two major international powers need to show greater commitment.

The director of the North American organization WWF, cited by the BBC, argued that the memorandum of understanding brought “new hope” for a limited warming target of 1.5 degrees Celsius. He added that “clarity is needed on what the two countries still need in reducing emissions over the next nine years.”

Former Australian Prime Minister Kenin Rudd, president of the Asian Association for Climate Change, wanted to make clear that in his view, the agreement between the Chinese and the Americans is not a complete reversal, but a major step: It’s remarkable that you can extract. “

In short, the main Chinese negotiator, Xie Zhenhua, said that at this point, there is “more agreement than disagreement” between the two powers.

Keep in mind that China refused to sign an agreement to control methane gas earlier this week, promising a “national plan” to act on the issue.

New painting

The new draft of the final COP26 declaration is already in circulation, although it is still under discussion.

After ten days of talks, delegations sent to Scotland reached a “truly final” draft, according to the summit chairman, who spoke during a one-day work dedicated to cities and regions. Alok Sharma called for “openness and flexibility” on the part of the negotiators, although he acknowledged that “there is a mountain to climb”.

The draft results call on countries to strengthen their carbon footprint by the end of 2022. The document reaffirms its commitment to countries most vulnerable to the effects of global warming.

The outcome of the meeting in Glasgow is scheduled for this Friday (12), although negotiations may still continue.

Final day

As the official work calendar draws to a close, today’s discussions point to issues such as the climate crisis promoted by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and children’s rights. Things like the use of fossil fuels and action on the Amazon are on the table.

COP26 in Scotland is attended by more than 120 political leaders and thousands of experts and activists.

Six years ago, the Paris Agreement set a goal of controlling global warming between 1.5 ° C and 2 ° C above pre-industrial values. In 2020, the year of the outbreak of the Govt-19 epidemic, greenhouse gas emissions were at an all-time high.