US and China agree bilateral deal to cut carbon emissions from vehicles and other sources
Thu 11 July 2013
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The United States and China, the world's biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, have agreed to five initiatives to cut carbon output from the largest sources, including heavy duty vehicles, manufacturing and coal-fired plants. The U.S.-China climate change working group, which officials from both countries formed in April, will work with companies and non-governmental groups to develop plans by October to carry out the measures aimed at fighting climate change and cutting pollution.
Heavy-duty vehicles are the largest greenhouse gas emitters in the US and account for more than half of the fuel consumed in China. Under the initiatives, the countries will advance policies to reduce carbon dioxide and black carbon emissions by raising fuel efficiency standards, using cleaner fuels and vehicle emission control technologies, as well as more efficient and clean freight.
Reuters reports that the whole initiatives include: reducing emissions from heavy-duty vehicles; increasing carbon capture, utilization and storage; increasing energy efficiency in buildings, industry and transport; improving greenhouse gas data collection and management; and promoting smart grids, according to a US State Department statement.
The group agreed to the measures at the US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue held at the State Department. The two-day meeting ends on Thursday. Secretary of State John Kerry and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew hosted a Chinese delegation, led by State Councilor Yang
Jiechi and Vice Premier Wang Yang, at the talks that cover both economics and wider geopolitical issues.
The climate agreements will concentrate on improving technologies, and will not be binding and will not seek to cut emissions by specific volumes. Still, the hope is any cooperation could help lend support to wider international talks on greenhouse gas reductions and help
finalize a global treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol on climate change by 2015. "On the one hand it's not suddenly going to transform the negotiations, I'm absolutely not saying that, but ... it will project something positive that I think will be helpful," U.S. climate envoy Todd
Stern told reporters in a teleconference.
China and the United States are together responsible for about 43% of global greenhouse gas output.
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