China and Europe vow joint climate action as US exits Paris accord
China and the European Union pledged to deepen cooperation on climate change Thursday, promising new emission-reduction targets while the United States moves to abandon the Paris Agreement and roll back renewable energy programs.
Somini Sengupta reports for The New York Times.
In short:
- The joint pledge frames the Paris Agreement as the “cornerstone” of climate cooperation, contrasting with U.S. withdrawal and policy reversals under President Trump.
- China, already the largest producer of solar panels and wind turbines, aims to expand its dominance in clean-energy technologies while Europe pushes aggressive climate targets.
- Both parties must still reconcile tensions over coal use, electric vehicle trade disputes, and Europe’s carbon border tax as they prepare for climate talks in Brazil this fall.
Key quote:
“In the absence of robust U.S. climate action, the EU and China still recognize the imperative of working together to confront a shared existential threat.”
— Li Shuo, director of China Climate Hub at the Asia Society Policy Institute
Why this matters:
The alignment between China and Europe on climate policy signals a major shift in global leadership as the U.S. steps back from international climate commitments. Together, the two economies account for a large share of global greenhouse gas emissions and control much of the market for renewable energy technologies like solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles. Their decisions will heavily influence whether the world can limit warming to safer levels. Yet their cooperation is complicated by trade disputes and China’s ongoing reliance on coal, raising questions about whether pledges will translate into real emission cuts or simply shift pollution across borders.
Related: China’s climate leadership may grow as U.S. pulls back
