United States and China to Cooperate on Climate Change and Energy is the word from the excellent weekly, “EERE Network News,” put out by DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). As I noted recently here, DOE Secretary Steven Chu was in China recently and the pressure is building on the Chinese to play ball in Copenhagen. The tea leaves are revealing auspicious things. According to the item from EERE, “The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) elevates climate change in the relationship between the two countries, committing them both to reaching a successful international agreement that addresses the problem.”
The State Department has had a key role in advancing this dialogue. In the transcript of the remarks from the signing ceremony, Secretary Clinton said that the MOU “… provides our countries with direction as we work together to support international climate negotiations and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.” State Councilor Dai Bingguo, a considerable heavyweight in the top PRC leadership, said “I think our two countries have an important contribution to make to the global efforts to tackle climate change, to ensure energy security, to protect the environment and the only planet we have.”
The US and China established a mechanism for “Climate Change Policy Dialogue and Cooperation” which will “promote (i) discussion and exchange of views on domestic strategies and policies for addressing climate change; (ii) practical solutions for promoting the transition to low-carbon economies; (iii) successful international negotiations on climate change; (iv) joint research, development, deployment, and transfer, as mutually agreed, of climate-friendly technologies; (v) cooperation on specific projects; (vi) adaptation to climate change; (vii) capacity building and the raising of public awareness; and (viii) pragmatic cooperation on climate change between cities, universities, provinces and states of the two countries.”
For another view of the US-China relationship on climate change and energy, see the video of John Kerry’s appearance at the National Press Club earlier this week. Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is articulate about the progress that has been made by China. He is nearly unfailingly optimistic about an agreement in Copenhagen and a vigorous climate change and clean energy package coming from the Congress. Some of the Q&A near the end is particularly interesting, and Kerry gives a wonderful pitch for the “no-regrets” philosophy of climate change. (From 1:00:30 of the video to the end.)
