White House Senior Adviser John Podesta is set to meet with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials to expand U.S.-China cooperation on climate change, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.
Podesta and China's special envoy for climate change, Liu Zhenmin, are scheduled to meet in the first week of September to discuss reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing funding for climate change efforts in developing countries. According to Exit. The meeting follows efforts by the two countries toward environmental cooperation that defy President Trump's policies and comes even as China continues to increase its coal production. (Related article: China approves new coal plants at breakneck speed as Biden administration pushes for US power plant closures)
Energy officials plan to use the meeting to continue working on tackling climate change. Agreed Bloomberg reported that in November 2023, countries will work to accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions other than carbon dioxide.
Creepy John Podesta He heads to Communist China to negotiate with America to give up its superpower status.https://t.co/PsvZDxgD26 pic.twitter.com/uSHAcwslPJ
— Steve Milloy (@JunkScience) August 28, 2024
The Biden administration is working to strengthen climate ties with China, even as the country continues to embrace coal-fired power. Report China has boosted both its domestic coal production and coal imports to record highs, according to Reuters. The two countries had previously agreed to cut coal-related emissions of methane and nitrogen oxides.
The meeting between Podesta and Zhengmin also comes amid White House efforts to defend climate cooperation with China from threats from President Donald Trump. According to Bloomberg, the two countries are seeking to use non-governmental organizations to maintain environmental cooperation in case former President Trump wins in November and U.S.-China relations sour.
“There's not much time left in this administration, so it's important that John Podesta does everything he can,” Joanna Lewis, an international policy expert at Georgetown University, told Bloomberg.
Last year, the United States and China agreed to work together to keep the UN temperature goal within reach, reflecting “the principles of equality and common but differentiated responsibilities and national capabilities, taking into account national circumstances,” as stated in Article 10 of the 2016 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Paris AgreementPresident Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement in November 2020, but President Joe Biden rejoined the agreement by executive order on his first day in office.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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