Title: US Climate Envoy John Kerry Visits Beijing Amidst Record-Breaking Heatwaves
Subtitle: Urgent Climate Cooperation Needed as Extreme Heat Sweeps Across China and the US
Date: [Current Date]
Beijing, China – As US climate envoy John Kerry arrived in Beijing on Sunday for crucial climate negotiations, he was greeted by scorching temperatures in the Chinese capital. Beijing has experienced 11 days of temperatures surpassing 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) since 1951, with nearly half of them occurring in recent weeks, including a new record for the hottest day in June.
Simultaneously, the United States is also grappling with an extreme heatwave, with temperatures in the Southwest soaring as high as 120°F (49°C). This global phenomenon has led to the hottest day ever recorded on the planet for four consecutive days earlier this month.
Li Shuo, senior global policy adviser at Greenpeace China, emphasized that the shared experience of climate change impacts should bring China and the US together, regardless of their political differences. As the world’s two largest polluters, accounting for nearly 40% of global emissions, both countries must take drastic measures to reduce fossil fuel production to combat the climate crisis.
However, climate cooperation between the US and China has been largely frozen for almost a year due to heightened geopolitical tensions. Last August, Beijing suspended climate talks with Washington in protest of then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, coinciding with China’s worst heatwave in six decades. The scorching temperatures led to severe consequences, including dried-up reservoirs, crop and livestock losses, power supply disruptions, and rolling blackouts in major Chinese cities.
This year, the heatwaves arrived even earlier, affecting hundreds of millions of residents and straining China’s electricity grid. China Energy Investment Corporation, the world’s largest generator of coal-fired power, reported reaching a historic high in electricity production on Monday.
Experts stress the urgency for the US and China to resume climate cooperation, as the climate crisis cannot wait for the resolution of their bilateral relations. Li emphasized that tensions should not hinder climate discussions and called for more resilience.
John Kerry’s visit to Beijing marks the third visit by a US cabinet member in recent weeks, as the Biden administration intensifies efforts to mend communication and stabilize relations with China. While no major announcements are expected from Kerry’s trip, experts highlight the significance of the visit’s optics.
Li noted that Kerry’s meetings in Beijing, including with Chinese counterpart Xie Jianhua, Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, and a vice minister of ecology and environment, will be closely watched. A meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping would send a strong signal of Beijing’s commitment to future engagement. Kerry has previously met with Xi during his tenure as Secretary of State under the Obama administration and worked closely with Xie on the US-China climate deal that paved the way for the Paris climate agreement.
During his visit, Kerry plans to press China on commitments to reduce coal consumption and methane emissions. Beijing, on the other hand, is likely to request the removal of tariffs on Chinese solar panels. However, experts believe that breakthroughs on these highly political issues are unlikely.
A more realistic goal would be for both countries to resume their joint working group on climate cooperation and pledge to continue communication leading up to the COP28 climate conference in Dubai, starting on November 30.
Both the US and China face domestic political pressures, with Republicans questioning Kerry’s efforts to push China to cut emissions during a House panel hearing. Kerry defended his trip, emphasizing the need for cooperation with China, given its status as the world’s second-largest economy and largest emitter.
The speed of China’s transition away from coal will be a major topic of conversation during Kerry’s visit. China has pledged to reach peak carbon emissions by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2060, necessitating the phase-out of coal power, which currently accounts for approximately 60% of its total electricity generation.
As the climate crisis intensifies, the world looks to the US and China to lead the way in combating global warming. The resumption of climate cooperation between these two powerhouse nations is crucial in addressing the urgent challenges posed by extreme heatwaves and other climate-related disasters.Hong Kong (CNN) – As John Kerry arrived in Beijing Sunday for a long-awaited trip to restart climate negotiations, the US climate envoy stepped off the plane into one of the hottest summers ever recorded in the Chinese capital.
Since 1951, Beijing has seen temperatures breaching 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) on 11 days – with almost half of them occurring in the past few weeks, including a new record for the city’s hottest day in June.
In the United States, an extreme heat wave is also swelling, with temperatures in the Southwest soaring as high as 120°F (49°C).
It’s a global problem: the planet’s hottest day ever was recorded for four straight days earlier this month.
“If anything, this is the situation that should most bring China and the US back on the same page,” said Li Shuo, senior global policy adviser at Greenpeace China.
“Regardless of their political differences, the impacts of climate change have now become a common experience for both countries – it’s no longer a hypothetical crisis or analytical challenge, but a living reality that can be felt through the skin.”
As the world’s two biggest polluters – with China’s emissions of planet-heating pollution more than double those of the US – the two countries account for nearly 40% of global emissions.
This means attempts to stave off the worst impacts of the climate crisis will need to involve these two powerhouse nations drastically cutting fossil fuel production – yet climate cooperation between them has been largely frozen for nearly a year amid heightened geopolitical
How are extreme heatwaves impacting China and the US, and why is urgent climate cooperation needed between the two countries?
US Climate Envoy John Kerry Arrives in Beijing Amidst Unprecedented Heatwaves
Subtitle: Urgent Climate Cooperation Needed to Tackle Extreme Heatwaves in China and the US
Date: [Current Date]
Beijing, China – US climate envoy John Kerry landed in Beijing on Sunday to participate in critical climate negotiations, but was met with scorching temperatures in the Chinese capital. Beijing has experienced a record-breaking 11 days with temperatures surpassing 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) since 1951, with almost half of those occurring in recent weeks, including a new June heat record.
At the same time, the United States is also facing an extreme heatwave, with temperatures soaring as high as 120°F (49°C) in the Southwest. This global phenomenon has resulted in the hottest day ever recorded worldwide for four consecutive days earlier this month.
Li Shuo, senior global policy adviser at Greenpeace China, emphasized that the shared experience of climate change impacts should bring China and the US together, regardless of their political differences. As the world’s two leading polluters, accounting for nearly 40% of global emissions, both countries need to take drastic measures to reduce fossil fuel production and address the climate crisis.
However, climate cooperation between the US and China has been largely stalled for nearly a year due to heightened geopolitical tensions. Beijing suspended climate discussions with Washington last August in protest of then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which coincided with China’s most severe heatwave in six decades. The scorching temperatures resulted in significant consequences, including dried-up reservoirs, crop and livestock losses, power disruptions, and rolling blackouts in major Chinese cities.
This year, the heatwaves arrived even earlier, affecting hundreds of millions of people and straining China’s power grid. The world’s largest coal-fired power generator, China Energy Investment Corporation, reported reaching a historic high in electricity production on Monday.
Experts emphasize the urgency for the US and China to resume climate cooperation, as the climate crisis cannot wait for the resolution of their bilateral relations. Li highlighted the need for resilience, urging that tensions should not hinder climate discussions.
John Kerry’s visit to Beijing is the third visit by a US cabinet member in recent weeks, as the Biden administration intensifies efforts to improve communication and stabilize relations with China. While major announcements are not expected from Kerry’s trip, experts highlight the significance of the visit’s optics.
Li noted that Kerry’s meetings in Beijing, including those with Chinese counterpart Xie Jianhua, Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, and a vice minister of ecology and environment, will be closely observed. A meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping would demonstrate Beijing’s commitment to future engagement. Kerry has previously met with Xi as Secretary of State under the Obama administration and worked closely with Xie on the US-China climate deal that paved the way for the Paris climate agreement.
During his visit, Kerry intends to push China on commitments to reduce coal consumption and methane emissions. On the other hand, Beijing is likely to request the removal of tariffs on Chinese solar panels. However, experts believe that progress on these politically sensitive issues is unlikely.
A more realistic objective would be for both countries to resume their joint working group on climate cooperation and pledge to maintain communication leading up to the COP28 climate conference in Dubai, starting on November 30.
The US and China face domestic political pressures, with Republicans questioning Kerry’s efforts to urge China to cut emissions during a House panel hearing. Kerry defended his trip, emphasizing the importance of cooperation with China given its position as the world’s second-largest economy and largest emitter.
The rate of China’s transition away from coal will be a major topic of discussion during Kerry’s visit. China has committed to reaching peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, necessitating the phasing out of coal power, which currently accounts for approximately 60% of its total electricity generation.
