China and the United States announced this Wednesday (10) they reached an agreement for a joint declaration, to be announced, within the scope of COP26, the UN climate change conference that seeks to conclude the regulation of the Paris Agreement. The progress of negotiations between the two largest emitters of greenhouse gases indicates that the countries are willing to work together so that the conference in Glasgow (Scotland) is successful.
China’s top negotiator, Xie Zhenhua, told reporters that the country would announce more ambitious carbon-cutting targets and that it would develop a national plan to cut methane emissions. According to him, the Asian country and the US also want to develop plans to cut deforestation.
“The two sides will work together to ensure a successful COP26 and facilitate an outcome that is both ambitious and fair,” Xie said.
The top US envoy, John Kerry, said the agreement with China was a declaration of support for the conference.
“Together we show our support for a successful COP26, including elements that will promote ambition, but I want to be clear that this statement is a step we can work on to close the gap [de emissões]. Every step matters now and we have a long journey ahead of us,” said the American. “We have to mitigate faster, we have to cut methane emissions faster, we have to continue to be more ambitious to maintain [a meta de aquecimento] 1.5 ° C alive. “
The British presidency of COP26 is trying to reach an agreement with net zero carbon emissions targets and which maintains the global warming goal of a maximum of 1.5°C, to limit the effects of global warming.
Draft final text published by the presidency this Wednesday morning says that “COP26 urges countries to accelerate the phasing out of coal and fossil fuel subsidies.”
The proposal recognizes that the world must limit global warming to up to 1.5ºC (while the Paris Agreement allowed a window of up to 2ºC).
The draft also cites that efforts to reach that goal must include nature-based solutions — which raises political recognition of combating deforestation as a tool to contain climate change.
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