Chinese President Xi Jinping rejected a call by the United States to tackle climate change following a meeting with President Joe Biden's climate envoy, John Kerry.
Kerry's three-day trip to Beijing was scheduled to persuade the Chinese government to commit to tougher climate action. However, Xi's response suggested that the tensions between the two countries are making it difficult for officials to cooperate on a crisis that threatens the safety of the entire planet.
China and US Talk Climate Change
On Wednesday, the climate envoy finished lengthy negotiations in Beijing but had yet to have any new agreements. Xi, on the other hand, expressed China's desire to pursue its goals to phase out carbon dioxide pollution at its own pace and in its way.
Despite the less-than-optimal outcome of the meeting, Kerry appeared buoyed that the two biggest polluters in the world had once again started talking to each other. Communication between the two nations has largely been in a stalemate for the last year following issues with Taiwan, trade, and other topics, as per the New York Times.
In a statement, the climate envoy said he had very "frank conversations" with Chinese officials. However, he said that he made the trip hoping to break new ground regarding ways to address climate change, noting they would need a little more work.
The situation comes as China's and the United States' decisions greatly impact the extent of global warming and how it would affect the world. The Asian nation has now become responsible for nearly a third of emissions worldwide, more than all other developed nations.
Experts noted that to avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis, the United States, the largest emitter throughout history, cooperates with China to reduce carbon pollution.An energy professor at the University of California, Berkeley, Dan Kammen, noted that China and the United States are the "G2 of energy consumption, energy use, and pollution." He added that while the two countries are progressing in tackling the crisis, neither one is seeing a reduction in emissions, according to BBC.
Failure To Secure New Agreements
While the two global superpowers have tried to address the issue and take steps to alleviate emissions, they are struggling to balance the demands of economic growth with tackling climate change. The situation has led to contradictory moves that have prompted criticism from environmentalists.
Despite Kerry's failure to secure new agreements with China, he noted that the two sides have agreed that the crisis is urgent and that both nations should stick to the global commitment "to keep 1.5 alive."
It referenced pledges to keep global temperatures from rising beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures. However, that could mark a significant shift in China's stance as Beijing officials have appeared to question the latest United Nations scientific report on global warming in the past few months, said Reuters.
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