On Monday representatives of countries around the world met at the UN to discuss climate change, part of the continued momentum towards a global agreement on climate in December at COP21 in Paris.
Another important conversation between national leaders is also took place on Monday in Brussels at the 17th EU-China Summit, where climate change was among the key priorities on the agenda. Prime Minister Li Keqiang met with Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, and Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission. These leaders, collectively representing a sizeable proportion of the world’s economy and emissions, announced that they will work together to achieve an ambitious agreement applicable to all countries at COP21.
This climate conversation between two great powers contains much powerful symbolism, reflecting changing patterns of global influence. The EU is responsible for much of the world’s historic greenhouse gas emissions but has now been far overtaken in its annual emissions by China.
The EU has long been a global leader in ambitious climate policy and in 2015 took the world’s most ambitious emission reduction target to date when setting 2030 emission reduction targets last year. Yet despite support from business, the EU faces new internal battles over whether industrial emissions can be offset through forestry, and the difficulties faced by some member states in moving away from coal use.
Meanwhile Europe’s leadership stance is set in a new context by the extraordinary rate at which China is attempting to move towards a greener economy. China’s investment in clean energy is just one example: In 2014 it added three times as much new renewable power generation as the rest of the world combined. This long-term policy direction is crucial for businesses operating in both markets, as it offers great opportunities to transition to a low-carbon economy.
The shifting relationship between the EU and China on climate change is reflected in the fact that they also agreed to work together on ensuring a successful outcome to the post-2015 development agenda in international negotiations. The statement comes just before the forthcoming conference on financing for sustainable development, which will address international financing issues that have previously held back completion of a successful global agreement on climate action.
Historically the EU and China have been on opposing sides of a huge diplomatic gulf between developed and developing countries that centred on finance issues. But things are changing, and a statement of EU-China co-operation is a reason for optimism that this stubborn barrier can be overcome. Bearing in mind the conversation that is also going in New York, this week is looking like a good week for the global climate.