COP26 US-China Agreement

The US and China released a joint declaration that signals greater cooperation on climate.

• Several years ago, initial cooperation between China and the US opened the door to the 2015 Paris Accord, the landmark climate change agreement signed by nearly every nation in the world.
• Now, as representatives of nations around the world meet at COP26 to forge clear commitments on how they will cut greenhouse gas emissions, the US and China signaled renewed cooperation.
• The two nations released a joint statement vowing to take immediate steps to limit the average global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius — the ultimate goal detailed in the Paris Accord.
• Increased cooperation between the US and China — the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases — is seen as a prerequisite for any larger agreement between world nations.
• The declaration also comes at a time when the two global powers have been enmeshed in tense conflicts over a variety of issues — from trade to territorial conflicts in the South China Sea.
• While the declaration was short on many details, news that the rivals were able to set aside their profound differences may herald the beginning of a new phase in the fight against climate change.