Kerry Returns from China without a Climate Deal, or Even a Meeting with Xi
16 hours ago Eric Worrall
Essay by Eric Worrall
First published JoNova; Kerry on fire: Talks were very productive, but didn’t produce a single breakthrough, and Xi ignored Kerry’s desire for a meeting.
As the world sizzles, China says it will deal with climate its own way
By Christian Shepherd, Emily Rauhala and Chris Mooney
Updated July 19, 2023 at 12:26 p.m. EDT | Published July 19, 2023 at 7:07 a.m. EDT
As parts of the Northern Hemisphere reach heat close to the limits of human survival, Chinese leader Xi Jinping declared in remarks reported Wednesday that Beijing alone will decide how — and how quickly — it addresses climate change.
Xi’s comments to top Communist Party officials, which came as U.S. climate envoy John F. Kerry wrapped up three days of talks with his Chinese counterpart, laid bare the challenge the world faces in curbing planet-warming pollution that is fueling heat waves across three continents. China has surpassed the United States as the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, and approved the construction of dozens of coal plants last year even as it added more renewable power.
China would pursue its commitments “unswervingly,” but the pace of such efforts “should and must be” determined without outside interference, Xi said late Tuesday. Xi’s approach marked a break from the 2015 Paris climate accord, where a Chinese-U.S. agreement paved the way for the international goal of keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/07/20/kerry-returns-from-china-without-a-climate-deal/
