Coal central to China’s zero carbon goals, top US envoy to Beijing says

US and China ‘cooperating productively’ on climate change, with more channels of engagement in the works, US embassy chief David Meale says

But China must bring forward its peak emissions target, or the 1.5 degree global warming target hangs in the balance, he warns

Reading Time:3 minutes

China paced up coal production to address a rare energy crunch that disrupted industry and people’s lives. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:15am, 13 Dec 2021Updated: 9:32am, 13 Dec 2021

The US and China are working together on climate change, but Beijing must step up efforts to deliver on emission cuts, the US’ top diplomat in China has said.

David Meale, chargé d’affaires of the US embassy in Beijing, said climate envoys John Kerry and Xie Zhenhua had spoken “dozens of times” and developed a “very collaborative” relationship.

“Nowhere is the climate question more important than engagement between the US and China,” Meale said on Friday while opening an outdoor exhibition by the embassy titled “Art for the People: The Earth”, showcasing US street art on climate change.

Despite heightened tensions in the overall China-US relationship, climate change was one area where Beijing and Washington “are cooperating and cooperating productively”, he said.

There is an extraordinary need for engagement, exchange of expertise, [and] collaborative thinking to ask ourselves, how can China step up its ambition and step up its timeline so that we can rescue the 1.5 degrees goal?

David Meale

China aims to reach peak carbon emissions by 2030 and become carbon neutral before 2060. But it has faced persistent calls to do more to reduce emissions, such as bringing forward its carbon neutrality goal to 2050.