U.S. and China Agree to Step Up Action for Climate

WASHINGTON  – The United States and China have come to agreement, after extensive dialogue, on how to collectively meet major climate targets in the coming decades. 

The following is a statement from Manish Bapna, president and CEO of NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council): 

“This cooperative signal is encouraging news. The stakes for all of us could not be higher, and committing to do the hard work to meet ambitious deadlines is essential.   

“Both countries are promising bold action on all of their main sources of emissions in their next climate plans. This is what’s needed to stay within the 1.5C tipping point, and it stands to truly benefit the world.”  

The parties discussed the following efforts: 

• Delivering new national targets by February 2025 aligned with keeping warming within 1.5C in the next wave of commitments, which will entail significantly stronger targets for 2035. The Paris Agreement requires that countries submit new national targets 9 to12 months before COP29 (November 2025), meaning that 2035 targets are due in February 2025. The U.S. and China reaffirmed the agreement from COP28 that the 2035 nationally determined contributions (“NDCs”) will be economy-wide, cover all greenhouse gases, 1.5C-aligned, and submitted on-time; 
• U.S. continuing to ramp up deployment of renewable energy. China ramping up its deployment of renewable energy and ramping down coal consumption this decade. The readout states: “the U.S. intent to achieve 100 percent clean power by 2035, and the Chinese intent to phase down coal consumption during the 15th Five Year Plan and make best efforts to accelerate this work, including by accelerating renewables deployment.” 
• Considering enhancing action on super-pollutants such as methane and HFCs, and hosting a second event on the topic at COP29. Also, strengthening both countries’ respective “MRV systems and standards aiming to achieve significant methane emissions control and reductions” this decade, according to the readout of the discussions. 
• More technical exchanges on circular economy and resource efficiency.  

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NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).