Workers operate on the digital production line at Geely Changxing New Energy Vehicle Co in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province. Photo: VCG

Accelerating transition to clean energy, fostering technological innovation and strengthening international cooperation represent the essential route to achieving meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions during the coming decades. As the two largest economies and greenhouse gas emitters in the world, China and the US shoulder a shared responsibility.

Total carbon dioxide emissions are projected to be 41.6 billion tons in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget report. Specifically, emissions from China and the US account for about 40 percent.

Today, the world is transitioning from an era dominated by fossil fuels to one led by renewable energy. Renewable energy, primarily solar energy, is expected to provide an increasing proportion of new power generation capacity, with China at the forefront of clean energy advancement.

As the world's largest manufacturer of clean energy equipment, China contributed over half of the 510-million kilowatts of newly added global renewable energy capacity in 2023. China now ranks first in global photovoltaic module production for 16 consecutive years. The export of wind and solar products from China in 2023 helped other countries reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 810 million tons. The supply of high-quality new energy products from China has significantly accelerated the global green and low-carbon transition.

The way energy is utilized reflects the broader trajectory of human civilization's evolution. Currently, humanity is at a critical juncture in transitioning to clean energy, and the urgent task is to shift from a fossil fuel-dominated past to a clean energy-dominated future.

Cooperation in the field of clean energy transition between China and the US dates back to the late 1970s. With both countries announcing their respective carbon neutrality timelines, a common objective has created a strategic framework for clean energy collaboration.

Since 2013, China and the US have issued several joint statements on climate change. In 2024, the two kicked off the Working Group on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s to discuss technical exchanges to accelerate clean energy transition.

If China and the US can enhance cooperation, it will greatly boost the development of global clean energy transition, which is crucial for achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, advancing multilateralism, ensuring global energy supply stability, and realizing a green transition. It will also set a precedent for bilateral and multilateral cooperation in this transition.

It needs to be acknowledged that deepening practical cooperation between China and the US will continue to face some challenges. The US' unreasonable tariff hikes run counter to the international community's vision of promoting green transformation and reducing tariffs on renewable energy-related products, casting a shadow over the prospects for cooperation between the two countries.

There exists a vast potential for cooperation between China and the US in the clean energy sector. They can establish a cooperative mechanism in the supply chains of key products to mitigate many trade barriers. They can jointly promote the establishment of international clean energy standards to ensure uniformity in technology standards and accelerate project implementation. They can set up joint research and development funds to prioritize breakthroughs in pivotal technologies like energy storage to foster rapid growth of the emerging industries like hydrogen energy.

Through green finance cooperation, they can ramp up efforts in accelerating eco-friendly investment initiatives to provide funding support for green transition. Such joint efforts would not only advance the progress of both China and the US but also exemplify their shared dedication to the climate change issue.

The author is a professor at the Institute for Sustainability of Huzhou University and a researcher at the Budapest Centre for Long-term Sustainability. bizopinion@globaltimes.com.cn