The Ministry of Ecology and Environment

China and the US issued a joint statement on Wednesday the Sunnylands Statement on Enhancing Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis, stating China’s and the US’ reaffirmation of their commitment to work together with other countries to address the climate crisis, with a working group to be operationalized to focus on areas including energy transition, methane, circular economy and resource efficiency, low-carbon and deforestation, according to China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment. 

In the joint statement, China and the US recall, reaffirm, and commit to further the effective and sustained implementation of the China-US Joint Statement Addressing the Climate Crisis issued in April of 2021 and the China-US Joint Glasgow Declaration on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s announced in November of 2021. 

China and the US recognize that the climate crisis has increasingly affected countries around the world, remain committed to the effective implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, reflecting equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of different national circumstances, to achieve the Paris Agreement’s aims in accordance with its Article 2 to hold the global average temperature increase to well below 2 degrees celcius and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees celcius. 

China and the US remain committed to the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement and decisions thereunder, including the Glasgow Climate Pact and the Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan. 

Both countries stress the importance of COP28 in responding meaningfully to the climate crisis during this critical decade and beyond. They are aware of the important role they play in terms of both national responses and working together cooperatively to address the goals of the Paris Agreement and promote multilateralism. 

China and the US decide to operationalize the Working Group on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s, to engage in dialogue and cooperation to accelerate concrete climate actions in the 2020s. 

The Working Group will focus on the areas of cooperation that have been identified in the Joint Statement and the Joint Declaration, including on energy transition, methane, circular economy and resource efficiency, low-carbon and sustainable provinces or prefectures and cities, and deforestation, as well as any agreed topics. 

The Working Group will carry out information exchanges on policies, measures, and technologies for controlling and reducing emissions, share their respective experiences, identify and implement cooperative projects, and evaluate the implementation of the Joint Statement, the Joint Declaration, and this Statement. 

The Working Group is co-led by the two special envoys on climate change, with the appropriate participation of officials from the relevant ministries and government agencies of the two countries.

Both countries support the G20 Leaders Declaration to pursue efforts to triple renewable energy capacity globally by 2030 and intend to sufficiently accelerate renewable energy deployment in their respective economies through 2030 from the levels in 2020 so as to accelerate the substitution for coal, oil and gas generation, and thereby anticipate post-peaking meaningful absolute power sector emission reduction, in this critical decade of the 2020s.

Both sides agree to restart the China-US Energy Efficiency Forum to deepen policy exchanges on energy-saving and carbon-reducing solutions in key areas including industry, buildings, transportation and equipment.

The two countries will immediately initiate technical working group cooperation on policy dialogue, technical solutions exchanges, and capacity building, building on their respective national methane action plans to develop their respective methane reduction actions or targets for inclusion in their 2035 NDCs and support each country’s methane reduction or control progress.

China and the US are determined to end plastic pollution and will work together and with others to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, one which covers the marine environment.

China and the US intend to hold a high-level event on subnational climate action in the first half of 2024. 

Both sides commit to advance efforts to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030, including by fully implementing through regulation and policy, and effectively enforcing, their respective laws on banning illegal imports. 

Both countries will cooperate in promoting relevant policies and measures and the deployment of technologies to enhance synergy of controlling GHG emissions and air pollutants, including NOX, VOCs, and other tropospheric ozone precursors.

China and the US, together with the United Arab Emirates, will invite countries to a Methane and Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases Summit at COP28. 

China and the US will look forward to the first Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement, which is a vital opportunity for the Parties to reflect on ambition, implementation, and cooperation, in line with the Paris temperature goal to hold the global average temperature increase to well below 2 degrees celcius and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees celcius, and the Parties’ resolve to keep a 1.5 degree celcius limit on temperature rise within reach. 

Global Times