US and China close to teaming up on tackling climate change, but progress will hinge on trust and resolving technical issues, Peking University academic says
- The countries ‘will need to overcome practical issues, given the US has engaged in a technology war with China’, researcher says
- We are going to work on the ‘practicalities of how we move faster’, John Kerry says at WEF in Davos
China’s manufacturing and buildings sectors, both with huge carbon footprints, can benefit from large-scale deployment of world-leading energy efficiency enhancement technology from the US, said Yang Fuqiang, a researcher with Peking University’s Institute of Energy. The US’s know-how on capturing methane leakage would also benefit China.
“However, since such technology is typically deployed over digitalised platforms enabled by 5G communications technology, such a technology transfer will need to overcome practical issues, given the US has engaged in a technology war with China,” he said.
The two countries are battling for leadership in core technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence and semiconductors.
US climate envoy John Kerry said the US and China were making progress on putting together a group to work towards quickly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday. The two countries, the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases, were close to agreeing on the structure of the group, and how decisions would be made.