China and US announce surprise climate pact at COP26 summit

The world’s biggest polluters, China and the United States, have vowed to increase cooperation and speed up action to rein in emissions, signalling a mutual effort on global warming at a time of tension over their other disputes.

China and the United States have said they'll work together to achieve the 1.5C temperature goal set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement. AP - Charlie Riedel

In back-to-back news conferences at UN climate talks in Glasgow, Chinese climate envoy Xie Zhenhua and his US counterpart John Kerry said their two countries would work together to accelerate the reductions in emissions required to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.

“It’s beneficial not only to our two countries but the world as a whole that two major powers in the world, China and the US, shoulder special international responsibilities and obligations,” Xie told reporters. “We need to think big and be responsible.”

This is most welcome news. Kudos to Xie Zhenhua and John Kerry for prevailing in the face of strong domestic headwinds in their respective countries to make this happen. May it prove to be much more than mere words, and usher in a lowering of temperature in both senses. https://t.co/lXtbF5vdcj

— Kaiser Kuo (@KaiserKuo) November 10, 2021

"The steps we're taking ... can answer questions people have about the pace at which China is going, and help China and us to be able to accelerate our efforts," Kerry said.

The EU and UN described the US-China pact as encouraging and an important step.

Methane leaks

China also agreed for the first time to crack down on methane leaks, following the lead of the Biden administration’s efforts to curb the potent greenhouse gas. Beijing and Washington agreed to share technology to reduce emissions.

A pipeline that moves methane gas from the Frank R. Bowerman landfill to an onsite power plant is shown in Irvine, California, California, U.S., June 15, 2021. REUTERS - MIKE BLAKE

Governments agreed in Paris to jointly cut greenhouse gas emissions enough to keep the global temperature rise “well below” 2C since pre-industrial times, with a more stringent target of trying to keep warming to 1.5C preferred.

Both sides recognise that there is a gap between efforts taken globally to reduce climate pollution and the goals of the Paris deal, Xie said.

• World leaders vow to protect forests, plug methane leaks, reduce cow emissions at COP26

“So we will jointly strengthen climate action and cooperation with respect to our respective national situations," he said.

Step forward

The 2014 US-China joint announcement on climate change gave a huge push to the creation of the historic Paris accord the following year, but that cooperation stopped with the Trump administration, which pulled the US out of the pact.

The Biden administration brought the US back in to that deal, but has clashed with China on other issues such as cybersecurity, human rights and Chinese territorial claims.

“While this is not a gamechanger in the way the 2014 US-China climate deal was, in many ways it’s just as much of a step forward given the geopolitical state of the relationship,” said Thom Woodroofe, an expert in US-China climate talks.

“It means the intense level of US-China dialogue on climate can now begin to translate into cooperation.”

(With wires)