The US and China are “committed to cooperating” on the pressing issue of climate change, the two countries said on Saturday, issuing the pledge days ahead of a key summit hosted by US President Joe Biden.
The joint statement came after a trip to Shanghai by US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, the first official from Biden’s administration to visit China, signaling hopes that the two sides could work together on the global challenge, despite sky-high tensions on multiple other fronts.
Yet to achieve the global climate goal, Kerry said words must be put into action and urged China to reduce its use of coal.
“The United States and China are committed to cooperating with each other and with other countries to tackle the climate crisis, which must be addressed with the seriousness and urgency that it demands,” said the statement from Kerry and Chinese Special Envoy on Climate Change Xie Zhenhua (解振華).
It listed multiple avenues of climate cooperation between the world’s top two economies, which together account for nearly half of the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change.
The statement stressed “enhancing their respective actions and cooperating in multilateral processes, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.”
The statement said that both countries also “look forward” to a virtual climate summit of world leaders that Biden is set to host next week, but did not say if Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) would attend.
“We very much hope he will take part,” Kerry, who is now in South Korea, told reporters yesterday.
“Of course, every country will make its own decisions,” he said. “We’re not seeking to force anybody. We’re seeking cooperation.”
China has about half of the world’s coal power, Kerry said, adding that he “talked a lot” about it with officials in Shanghai.
“I am not pointing fingers,” Kerry said. “We’ve had too much coal, other countries have too much coal, but China is the biggest, biggest coal user in the world, and because it’s such a big and powerful economy and country, it needs to move.”
Biden has rejoined the 2015 Paris accord and committed nations to taking action to keep the temperature from rising no more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels.
With the world badly off track to meeting the goal, Biden hopes his summit will result in stronger pledges in advance of UN-led climate talks in Glasgow at the end of the year.
Both Washington and Beijing “intend to develop” their respective long-term strategies to achieve carbon neutrality by the Glasgow meeting, the statement said.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old