BEIJING: China and the United States still face “some differences” on issues such as climate finance but have made progress in addressing these concerns during recent talks, according to US climate envoy John Podesta, who spoke in Beijing on Friday.
Despite existing tensions in their bilateral relationship, Podesta emphasized the potential for collaboration on climate matters. He made these comments following meetings with his Chinese counterpart Liu Zhenmin and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Climate cooperation between the world’s two largest greenhouse gas emitters has historically been instrumental in forging global agreements, such as the 2015 Paris Agreement. However, experts had low expectations for this week’s discussions, given uncertainties surrounding the outcome of the upcoming US presidential election.
Podesta said that the talks included productive discussions on the forthcoming COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, scheduled for November. A key focus of the conference will be reaching an agreement on a new fund aimed at assisting developing countries.
The US is advocating for a broader base of contributors to this fund, while China and other major developing nations worry that this might reduce the financial obligations of wealthier countries.
The two nations also addressed their plans to present ambitious climate targets for 2035 to the United Nations ahead of the early next year’s deadline. The US is urging China to commit to significant reductions in CO2 emissions.
Furthermore, Podesta revealed that the two countries are planning a bilateral summit to tackle non-CO2 greenhouse gases, such as methane, which, while less discussed, account for a significant portion of global warming.
