Abstract

The U.S. and China lead the world in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for more than 40% of world-wide energy-related emissions. The need for the U.S. and China to find common ground on addressing climate change is gaining increasing attention, and there is now hope for re-versing the stalemate in which each country blames the other for its lack of stronger action. This article examines recent reports suggesting ways that the U.S. and China can cooperate to address climate change, highlighting common themes including 1) elevating the issue and re-framing it as reform towards a new clean energy economy, 2) mitigating coal emissions through technological improvement and increasing use of renewable energy sources, and 3) strengthening capacity for environmental governance and quantifying GHG emissions. The article examines how such cooperation can contribute towards finding common ground in multilateral negotiations. In particular, the article reviews the current constraints on effective implementation of environmental policy in China and opportunities for enhanced cooperation to contribute to overcoming these constraints. While the U.S. and China view the need to control GHG emissions differently, there has recently been evolution in both countries’ views and there are signs of momentum for finding common ground on cooperative activities that could enhance the prospects for successful completion and implementation of an international agreement.


I. Introduction

The vital importance of the U.S. and China, the world‘s leading emitters of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs), finding common ground is gaining increasing attention. A flurry of recent reports address how the U.S. and China can cooperate to address climate change. These reports suggest the outlines of a break from the pattern of the U.S. and China both pointing to each other to justify not taking more robust steps, and a possible path forward. The importance of such co-operation is underlined by the fact that the U.S. and China combined account for more than 40% of worldwide energy-related GHG emissions.

This article first discusses the lens through which China approaches climate change. It next examines U.S. views on China and climate change. Recent evolution in both is noted. The article then examines the actions China has taken or planned to address GHG emissions. Common themes regarding U.S.-China climate change cooperation in recent reports from The Brookings Institution, Pew Center on Global Climate Change / Asia Society, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and McKinsey & Company are considered next. The common themes considered include elevating and re-framing of the climate change issue, lowering coal emissions through technological improvement and increasing use of renewable energy sources, strengthening capacity for environmental governance and quantifying GHG emissions, and the importance of a green stimulus. The article then discusses the relationship of bilateral cooperation to multilateral negotiations. Finally, the obstacles posed by a variety of constraints on effective implementation of environmental policy in China are considered, and some options for enhanced cooperation to contribute to overcoming these obstacles are proposed. A report issued by the Brookings Institution (hereinafter "the Brookings Report") sets forth a plan to "promote far greater U.S.-China cooperation on climate change and clean energy along lines that realistically take into account Chinese leaders' perceptions and concerns, and enhance their capabilities to achieve their goals" and notes some of China‘s views and constraints in terms of controlling GHG emissions.

A report from the Asia Society Center for China-U.S. Relations and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change (hereinafter "the Pew / Asia Society Report") "explicates both a rationale and an outline for beginning a more comprehensive program of U.S.-China collaboration on energy and climate change" and outlines some "critical project areas that should be jointly explored."

A report by the U.S.-based environmental NGO the Natural Resources Defense Council (hereinafter "the NRDC Report"), noting that the U.S. and China are "jointly holding the key to either sustainability or catastrophe," recommends key steps to strengthen U.S.-China engagement on energy and climate. Finally, a report by McKinsey & Company (hereinafter "the McKinsey Report"), while not focused on U.S.-China cooperation per se, assesses opportunities for China to markedly contain its contribution to climate change and its dependence on imported energy sources by adopting an ambitious "abatement" scenario of deploying credible technologies at reasonable cost.