China and California find common ground in launching joint climate research institute

US state shares some of China’s aims on emissions and clean energy

Partnership comes at a time when President Donald Trump has been hostile to efforts to halt climate change, as well as tough on China

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China emits more carbon than any other country but has worked to reduce its reliance on coal. Photo: AFP

Published: 2:11pm, 24 Sep 2019Updated: 9:42pm, 24 Sep 2019

As tensions between China and the United States ratchet up, former California governor Jerry Brown sees a way to bring together the world’s largest carbon emitter and a US state that is leading the way in energy standards: climate change.

Brown and Xie Zhenhua, China’s top climate official, announced a new university partnership focused on climate research and policy on Monday as part of the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York.

While it may seem like an unlikely pairing, Brown has been building a partnership with China for years. And China, which emits the most carbon of any nation, has been investing aggressively in renewable energy products such as battery storage technology and reducing its reliance on coal.

California, meanwhile, has adopted some of the US’ most aggressive climate goals, including an effort to use 100 per cent clean energy for electricity by 2045.

California’s then governor Jerry Brown (front right) and China’s top climate official Xie Zhenhua (front left) sign an agreement on climate change cooperation in 2014. Photo: AP

The partnership comes amid Republican President Donald Trump’s hostile relationship with China and his withdrawal of the US from global commitments to combat rising temperatures. Trump only briefly stopped by the climate summit before going to an event on religious freedom.