China News Service, Beijing, November 12 (Reporter Lang Lang) On the evening of November 10, local time, China and the United States jointly issued the "Sino-U.S. Glasgow Joint Declaration on Strengthening Climate Action in the 2020s" (hereinafter referred to as the "Declaration") ), the temperature rise should be controlled below 2°C, and efforts will be made to limit it to 1.5°C. China has also made it clear that it will formulate a national action plan for methane. This declaration is considered to be a more feasible program of action.
What signals did China and the U.S. reach the "Declaration"?
What are the points worth paying attention to?
What impact will it have on the global economy and the Chinese and American economies?
On the 11th, Chai Qimin, director of the Strategic Planning Department of the National Climate Strategy Center, received an exclusive interview with the "China New Observation" column of Chinanews.com for interpretation.
Drawing: Zhang Jianyuan
Excerpts from the interview are as follows:
Chinanews.com: It has been more than five years since China joined the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Now China and the United States have reached a joint declaration on strengthening climate action, renewing the temperature rise control below 2°C, and striving to limit it to 1.5° What does it mean within C?
Chai Qimin:
Judging from the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the climate change situation 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 space for greenhouse gas emissions, the next 10-20 years will be a very important window
.
The two countries reiterated this goal, hoping that it can be truly implemented.
The United Nations Environment Program publishes an "Emission Gap Report" every year. At present, the action target of countries is still not enough to achieve the 1.5°C temperature rise control target, and it needs to be continuously improved.
The "Declaration" pointed out that China and the United States will once again propose the goal of 2035 in 2025. In fact, they also hope to continue to increase their efforts to address climate change during the 10-20 year window.
China and the United States are the world's largest developing countries and developed countries respectively. The consensus of the two countries in this regard can push the global climate process forward faster and better.
Chinanews.com: In the "Declaration", what else are worth paying attention to?
Chai Qimin:
First of all, with regard to 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 regarding the negotiation of the implementation details under the Paris Agreement.
The consensus between China and the United States on these issues can greatly promote the formation of phased results of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.
When there is a disagreement on a certain issue, everyone may look at the respective positions of China and the United States. 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 cooperation areas in the next ten years.
Specifically related to methane emission reduction, power system decarbonization, reduction of coal consumption, reduction of deforestation, etc.
These aspects actually outline the possibility that China and the United States will take joint actions in these areas in the future.
Whether it is policy standards or the proposal of new goals in 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 2020s" to conduct regular communication and exchanges on future issues.
For China and the United States, dialogue is a very important way to reduce conflicts and frictions, especially on the issue of climate change.
The establishment of this group will undoubtedly play a vital role in Sino-US cooperation on climate change in the coming years
.
Data map: Chinese flag and American flag.
Image source: People's Vision
Chinanews: It is said that the "Declaration" is more pragmatic. If the proposal of my country's "dual carbon" goal is regarded as the beginning of a "systematic change", then this declaration is a clarion call for action. What do you think of this statement? ?
Chai Qimin:
I don't agree with this statement.
Our country's own domestic policies and goals are based on our own, combined with our country's development stage and the larger international background.
In terms of policy implementation, we have already completed the top-level design. For example, the "Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on the Complete, Accurate and Comprehensive Implementation of the New Development Concept to Do a Good Job in Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality" issued on September 22, and the "2030 Years Ago Carbon Peak Action Plan, etc., are all about how to implement my country's "carbon peak and carbon neutral" goals.
There are both political mobilization and concrete action measures.
The "Declaration" issued this time talks more about cooperation. It is the consensus, views, and positions of China and the United States on international issues.
It does not go beyond the actions that China has already taken, and it puts many existing actions of the two countries into the "Declaration" as an important area of cooperation between the two countries.
Over 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 mankind to better cope with common challenges, the two countries are indeed relatively pragmatic and are moving towards each other.
The "Declaration" more embodies the content of international cooperation, and it is an exaggeration to describe it as our country's clarion call for action
.
We are already in action.
Chinanews.com: It is stated in the "Declaration" 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. What industries will this plan have an impact on? What changes will people's lives have?
Chai Qimin:
Methane emissions mainly come from coal mining, oil and gas mining, and waste disposal.
China's energy structure is partial to coal, which is a limitation of resource endowment.
Therefore, in the past few five-year plans, we have been actively controlling methane emissions.
As a developing country, my country's basic data on methane emission control is weak, and there are still some shortcomings and deficiencies in monitoring. Capacity building in this area must be made up.
Developing countries like China need some time to strengthen their governance capabilities in this area.
This plan is mainly to have 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, certain economic benefits will be produced, emissions are reduced, and methane can be used as a resource.
Therefore, these emission reductions have economic, social and environmental synergistic effects.
Data map: Zhaogong Mountain is located in Yutang Street, Dujiangyan City, Sichuan. From early November to early December each year, it is the best time to appreciate the colorful forest.
Photo courtesy of the Propaganda Department of Dujiangyan Municipal Party Committee
Chinanews: China's emission reduction action is a profound economic and social change. The "Declaration" stated that China and the United States will accelerate their transition to a global net-zero economy in a decisive decade. What impact will this have on the economy and society of China and the United States? What opportunities and challenges will it bring to the development of the new energy industry?
Chai Qimin:
"Carbon peak and carbon neutral" is a broad and profound economic and social systemic change.
Now that both
China and the United States have established carbon neutral commitments and net zero emissions goals, the next most important thing is action
.
It will have two effects on the global and Sino-U.S. economies.
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, and green building materials, will have better development
.
For example, investment in the global energy transition is constantly increasing and has reached more than US$500 billion this year.
For our country, if we can make strategic deployments and grasp the pace of transformation, in fact, the future will have more opportunities than challenges.
In terms of related industries, China has comparative advantages.
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, but a win-win situation, especially a historic opportunity for the future industrial and technological revolution.
Chinanews: China and the United States have differences in many areas, but today, they have found common ground in the biggest challenge facing mankind. What do you think of this cooperation between the two sides?
Chai Qimin:
Climate change is a common challenge facing all mankind.
A country alone cannot solve global problems.
Therefore, Sino-US cooperation and win-win cooperation on the issue of climate change is the only correct way out.
China has always shown great sincerity in cooperation on climate change issues.
The US may have been over-politicized on many issues in the past.
If China and the United States can really promote substantive cooperation, it will be a great thing for the global response to climate change.
Therefore, we are still cautiously optimistic about the future Sino-US cooperation.
Although there may be some twists and turns in the future, especially in the United States, there will be a bipartisan political alternation.
But on the whole, win-win cooperation in the future is the kingly way.
(over)
Brief introduction of interviewed guests:
Chai Qimin, director of the Strategic Planning Department of the National Climate Strategy Center, a part-time researcher of the Center for Modern Management Research of Tsinghua University, deputy director and visiting professor of the Center for Green Finance and Sustainable Development of University of International Business and Economics, visiting professor of Guizhou Institute of Technology, visiting scholar of Stanford University, global climate Member of the Strategy Committee.
As a member of the government delegation, he has participated in the UN climate change negotiations for a long time. As the main author, he participated in the long-term low-emissions development strategy of greenhouse gas (carbon neutrality vision) in the middle of this century, China's national independent contribution, special plan for tackling climate change, and national control of greenhouse gases. Emissions work plan, carbon dioxide emission peaking action plan and other policy documents have been written, and the results have won the Environmental Protection Science and Technology Award, the National Development and Reform Commission Outstanding Research Achievement Award, and the Energy Soft Science Research Outstanding Achievement Award.