China and the United States have issued a Sunshine Land Statement on strengthening cooperation to address the climate crisis. The statement proposes that the two countries support the efforts outlined in the G20 Leaders’ Declaration to triple the global installed capacity of renewable energy by 2030, and plan to fully accelerate the deployment of renewable energy in both countries from now until 2030 at the 2020 level, in order to accelerate the replacement of coal, oil and gas power generation, and thus achieve meaningful absolute reduction in emissions from the power industry after peaking.
China and the United States have issued the Sunshine Land Statement on Strengthening Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis. The full text of the statement is as follows:
Sunshine Town Statement on Strengthening Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis
1、 China and the United States review, reaffirm, and commit to further effective and sustained implementation of the April 2021 Joint Statement on Addressing the Climate Crisis and the November 2021 Glasgow Joint Declaration on Strengthening Climate Action in the 2020s.
2、 China and the United States recognize that the impact of the climate crisis on countries around the world is becoming increasingly significant. Faced with warnings from the best available scientific findings such as the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the two countries are committed to effectively implementing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, reflecting the principles of fairness and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, taking into account different national conditions, and in accordance with Article 2 of the Paris Agreement, controlling the global average temperature rise below 2 ℃ and striving to limit it to 1.5 ℃, including efforts to maintain 1.5 ℃, to achieve the objectives of the agreement.
3、 China and the United States are committed to effectively implementing the Paris Agreement and its decisions, including the Glasgow Climate Agreement and the Sharm el Sheikh Implementation Plan. The two countries emphasize that the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the Convention is crucial for meaningfully addressing the climate crisis in this critical decade and beyond. Both countries recognize that they play an important role in implementing the goals of the Paris Agreement and promoting multilateralism, both in terms of domestic response measures and joint cooperative actions. For the sake of future generations of humanity, the two countries will cooperate and face one of the most severe challenges in the world today, together with other parties to the Convention and the Paris Agreement.
4、 China and the United States have decided to launch the “2020s Enhanced Climate Action Working Group” to engage in dialogue and cooperation, in order to accelerate concrete climate action in the 2020s. The working group will focus on the joint statement and the areas of cooperation identified in the joint statement, including energy transition, methane, circular economy and resource efficiency, low-carbon and sustainable provinces/states and cities, deforestation, and other topics agreed upon by both parties. The working group will exchange information on policies, measures, and technologies for controlling and reducing emissions, share their respective experiences, identify and implement cooperative projects, and evaluate the implementation of the joint declaration, the joint declaration, and this declaration. The working group is jointly led by climate change envoys from both countries, with officials from relevant ministries and government agencies from both countries participating in an appropriate manner.
5、 China and the United States will focus on accelerating the following specific actions under the working group before and after COP28, especially practical and tangible cooperation plans and projects.
Energy transition
6、 In the crucial decade of the 2020s, the two countries supported the efforts outlined in the G20 Leaders’ Declaration to achieve a threefold increase in global renewable energy capacity by 2030, and planned to fully accelerate the deployment of renewable energy in both countries from now until 2030 at the 2020 level, in order to accelerate the replacement of coal, oil and gas power generation, and thus achieve meaningful absolute reductions in electricity industry emissions after peaking.
7、 Both sides agree to restart the China US Energy Efficiency Forum to deepen policy exchanges on energy conservation and carbon reduction in key areas such as industry, construction, transportation, and equipment.
8、 China and the United States plan to restart bilateral energy policy and strategic dialogue, exchange ideas on jointly agreed topics, promote track two activities, and strengthen practical cooperation.
9、 The two countries aim to promote at least five large-scale cooperative projects on carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) in industrial and energy sectors by 2030.
Emissions of methane and other non carbon dioxide greenhouse gases
10、 Both countries will implement their respective national methane action plans and plan to refine further measures as appropriate.
11、 The two countries will immediately launch a technical working group to engage in policy dialogue, exchange of technical solutions, and capacity building. Based on their respective national methane action plans, they will formulate methane emission reduction actions/targets that will be included in their 2035 national independent contributions, and support the progress of methane emission reduction/control in both countries.
12、 The two countries plan to cooperate on measures to manage nitrous oxide emissions separately.
13、 The two countries plan to work together under the Kigali Amendment to gradually reduce hydrofluorocarbons and are committed to ensuring that all refrigeration equipment produced adopts strong minimum energy efficiency standards.
Circular economy and resource utilization efficiency
14、 Recognizing the important role of circular economy development and resource utilization efficiency in addressing the climate crisis, relevant government departments of both countries plan to hold a policy dialogue on these issues as soon as possible, and support exchanges, discussions, and cooperation projects between enterprises, universities, and research institutions of both sides.
15、 China and the United States are determined to end plastic pollution and will work with all parties to develop a legally binding international instrument on plastic pollution, including plastic pollution in the marine environment.
Local cooperation
16、 China and the United States will support provinces, states, and cities to engage in climate cooperation in areas such as electricity, transportation, construction, and waste management. Both sides will promote the active participation of local governments, enterprises, think tanks, and other relevant parties in cooperation. The two countries will engage in policy dialogue, share best practices, exchange information, and promote project cooperation through agreed upon regular meetings.
17、 China and the United States plan to hold a high-level event on local climate action in the first half of 2024.
18、 Both sides welcome and appreciate the local cooperation that has been carried out between the two countries, and encourage provinces, states, and cities to engage in pragmatic climate cooperation.
forest
19、 Both parties commit to making further efforts to halt and reverse forest decline by 2030, including fully implementing and effectively enforcing their respective laws prohibiting illegal imports through regulatory and policy measures. Both parties plan to discuss and exchange ideas under the working group on how to enhance efforts to strengthen the implementation of this commitment.
Synergistic reduction of greenhouse gases and atmospheric pollutants
20、 The two countries plan to cooperate in promoting relevant policy measures and technological deployment to strengthen the coordinated control of greenhouse gas emissions and atmospheric pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and other tropospheric ozone precursors.
National independent contribution by 2035
21、 Reiterating the nature of nationally determined contributions, and recalling Article 4 (4) of the Paris Agreement, the nationally determined contributions of both countries by 2035 will cover the entire economy, including all greenhouse gases, and reflect emissions reductions in line with the Paris temperature control target of keeping the global average temperature rise below 2 ℃ and striving to limit it to 1.5 ℃.
COP28
22、 China and the United States, together with the United Arab Emirates, will invite countries to participate in the “Methane and Non Carbon Dioxide Greenhouse Gas Summit” to be held during COP28.
23、 China and the United States will actively participate in the first global inventory of the Paris Agreement, which is an important opportunity for the contracting parties to review their efforts, implementation, and cooperation to meet the Paris Agreement’s temperature control targets, which aim to keep the global average temperature rise below 2 ℃ and strive to limit it to 1.5 ℃, consistent with the contracting parties’ determination to maintain the achievable 1.5 ℃ temperature control target.
24、 The two countries are committed to working together and reaching a global inventory decision through consensus with other contracting parties. Both countries believe that the decision:
——This should be reflected in the substantial positive progress made in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, including the agreement’s promotion of actions by both contracting and non contracting stakeholders, as well as the fact that the world is clearly in a better position in terms of temperature rise trajectory compared to no agreement;
——Fairness should be considered and reference should be made to the best available science, including the latest IPCC reports;
——Balance should be maintained across various thematic areas, including retrospective and responsive elements, and consistent with the design of the Paris Agreement;
——It should be reflected that achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement requires a significant increase in ambition and implementation in action and support, taking into account different national conditions;
——Signals should be sent in the areas of energy transition (renewable energy, coal/oil/gas), carbon sinks such as forests, non carbon dioxide gases such as methane, and low-carbon technologies;
——Recognizing the nationally determined nature of nationally determined contributions and recalling Article 4.4 of the Paris Agreement, it is encouraged that by 2035, nationally determined contributions across the entire economy should cover all greenhouse gases;
——Adaptation is crucial and should be accompanied by a strong decision to propose a robust global adaptation goal framework – accelerating adaptation, including setting goals/indicators to enhance adaptation effectiveness; Provide early warning systems for developing country contracting parties; Strengthen adaptation efforts in key areas such as food, water, infrastructure, health, and ecosystems;
——It should be noted that developed countries are expected to achieve a climate funding target of $100 billion by 2023, and it is reiterated that developed country Parties are urged to at least double the adaptation funding they provide; Looking forward to COP29 adopting new collective quantitative funding targets; And make the flow of funds in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement;
——We should welcome and appreciate the proposal of the Transitional Committee to establish funding arrangements to address loss and damage issues, including the establishment of a fund for this purpose;
——The important role of international cooperation should be emphasized, including the global demand for the climate crisis, which requires the widest possible cooperation, and this cooperation is a key driving factor for achieving effective mitigation actions and climate resilience development.
25、 China and the United States are committed to further strengthening dialogue and cooperation efforts, and supporting the successful hosting of COP28 by the United Arab Emirates as the host country.
Post time: Aug-16-2024