China and the US Announce Historic Climate Change Deal

Thumbs Up For GHG Emissions Cuts: China and the US Announce Historic Climate Change Deal

A historic climate change deal has recently taken place as both the US and China have announced that they will curb greenhouse has emissions over the next 2 decades. The deal was jointly announced by US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jingping. Both countries will curb their GHG emissions as part of this deal.

As part of the agreement, the US will cut its 2005 level of carbon emissions by as much as 26 to 28 percent prior to the year 2025. The carbon emissions of China will peak by 2030 and it will also try to get 20% of the energy it needs from zero carbon emission sources by this year. "As the world's two largest economies, energy consumers and emitters of greenhouse gases, we have a special responsibility to lead the global effort against climate change," Obama recently said in a joint news conference with Xi, as quoted by CNN.

This announcement marks the first time China has peaked its carbon emissions as per the White House. President Jingping has called for an “energy revolution” to include broad economic reforms for addressing air pollution. This deal came when Obama was in Beijing for the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit and the deal will spur nations to combat climate change. "We hope to encourage all major economies to be ambitious -- all countries, developing and developed -- to work across some of the old divides, so we can conclude a strong global climate agreement next year," Obama was quoted as saying.

Xi indicated both sides were committed to working for the goals before the United Nations Climate Conference in Paris in the year 2015, as per CNN.The goals laid out by two leaders were not as ambitious as some hoped, Lo Sze Ping, CEO of the World Wildlife Fund Beijing was quoted by CNN as saying. But "what's important is that both these two large emitters are taking the responsibility to act and work together to resolve the problem, not the numbers or targets themselves," he also added.

The White House stated the ultimate target is to "achieve deep economy-wide reductions on the order of 80% by 2050.”China has also agreed to provide another 800-1,000 gigawatts of nuclear as well as solar, wind and other zero emission generation capacity by 2030. Zero emission output exceeds the coal fired power plants and the aim here is to work to send a “powerful message.” If other nations could work towards similar goals, GHG emissions would drastically reduce. Once thing is for sure. Once coal and fossil fuel reserves finish, renewable sources of energy will be the only option left. It’s just as well if the nations realise the importance of promoting and building a solid base for renewable energy in terms of industry and infrastructure.

A recent report in the Economic Times cited how the failure of the renewable energy trading mechanism is creating a massive downward spiral for the Indian solar industry. Considering the massive subsidies that the Indian government provides for fossil fuels such as coal on which all our industries are mostly dependant and the coal shortage, it seems the nascent renewable energy industry is not being given the support it fully deserves. Hopefully, the government will find a solution to the present crisis and brighter days are ahead for the Indian renewable energy industries like solar energy.