China needs to expand its efforts to reduce carbon emissions to help hold back the rise in global temperatures, US envoy John Kerry has said.
Mr Kerry told Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng in a virtual meeting that there was “no way” for the world to solve the climate crisis without China’s “full engagement and commitment”.
China is the world’s largest emitter of carbon, producing an estimated 27% of global greenhouse gases, followed by the United States.
Mr Kerry is in the eastern Chinese port city of Tianjin for talks on stronger efforts to curb rising temperatures to no more than 1.5C (2.7F) over pre-industrial levels.
Global efforts to remove carbon from the atmosphere will come under the spotlight at the Cop26 conference in Glasgow in November.
“Secretary Kerry emphasised the importance of the world taking serious climate actions in this critical decade and strengthening global climate ambition,” the State Department said in a statement.
China’s official Xinhua News Agency quoted Mr Han as telling Mr Kerry that China had made “huge efforts” in tackling climate change and had achieved “remarkable results”.
Beijing “hopes the American side will create the appropriate circumstances for jointly tackling climate change based on the spirit of the conversations between their leaders”, Xinhua quoted Mr Han as saying.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned Mr Kerry that deteriorating relations between the US and China could undermine co-operation on climate change.
Such co-operation cannot be separated from the broader relationship, Mr Wang told Mr Kerry by video link.
Relations have been strained by disputes over trade, technology and human rights. However, the two sides have identified the climate crisis as an area for possible co-operation following US President Joe Biden’s decision to rejoin the the 2015 Paris climate accord.
China obtains roughly 60% of its power from coal and is opening more coal-fired power plants, while also being committed to reducing its use of the fossil fuel.
Beijing has pointed to historical US emissions as a reason to resist action while making advances in solar power and other renewable energy sources.
The country has set a target of generating 20% of its total energy needs from renewables by 2025, becoming carbon-neutral by 2060 and reducing total emissions starting from 2030.
Mr Biden has announced a goal of cutting up to 52% of US greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 — double the target set by then president Barack Obama in the Paris agreement. The 2030 goal places the US in the top tier of countries on climate ambition.