General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: BREAKING: The US and China Just Announced a Huge Deal on Climate—and it's a Gamechanger [View all]Cha
(297,154 posts)The Chinese targets also represent a major advance. For the first time China is announcing a peak year for its carbon emissions around 2030 along with a commitment to try to reach the peak earlier. That matters because over the past 15 years, China has accounted for roughly 60 percent of the growth in carbon dioxide emissions world-wide. We are confident that China can and will reach peak emissions before 2030, in light of President Xis commitments to restructure the economy, dramatically reduce air pollution and stimulate an energy revolution.
China is also announcing today that it would expand the share of total energy consumption coming from zero-emission sources (renewable and nuclear energy) to around 20 percent by 2030, sending a powerful signal to investors and energy markets around the world and helping accelerate the global transition to clean-energy economies. To meet its goal, China will need to deploy an additional 800 to 1,000 gigawatts of nuclear, wind, solar and other renewable generation capacity by 2030 an enormous amount, about the same as all the coal-fired power plants that exist in China today, and nearly as much as the total electricity generation capacity of the United States.
There is no question that all of us will need to do more to push toward the de-carbonization of the global economy. But in climate diplomacy, as in life, you have to start at the beginning, and this breakthrough marks a fresh beginning: Two countries regarded for 20 years as the leaders of opposing camps in climate negotiations have come together to find common ground, determined to make lasting progress on an unprecedented global challenge. Lets ensure that this is the first step towards a world that is more prosperous and more secure.