US seeks China climate ‘understanding’ - Push targeted for Obama’s pre-summit Beijing visit

US seeks China climate ‘understanding’ - Push targeted for Obama’s pre-summit Beijing visit
By Bill Savadove in Shanghai
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009
Published: October 28 2009 10:01 | Last updated: October 28 2009 10:01
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d1c17178-c39d-11de-a290-00144feab49a.html


The US and China will seek a “common understanding” to push forward a global deal on climate change during President Barack Obama’s first state visit to Beijing next month, but the US’s top climate official has ruled out any “separate deal”.

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The US and China are the world’s biggest emitters of carbon dioxide, a major contributor to global warming, making the two countries key players for the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen set for December.

“I think that Copenhagen can be a success,” Todd Stern, US special envoy for climate change, said in Shanghai after meeting his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua.

“There is a deal to be had. It doesn’t mean we are going to get it, but I think that there is one to be had.”

Mr Stern continued: “It’s not an issue of trying to cut some separate [US-China] deal, but there absolutely is an issue of trying to get us and China – the US and China – as aligned as possible so that we have a chance to get an agreement in Copenhagen.”

Another aim of the visit is to advance co-operation on clean energy projects. “We are in fact trying to press forward with some specific initiatives there, but it’s too early to know exactly what that will be,” said Mr Stern.

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Hu Jintao, China’s president, in September pledged to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted per unit of economic output during the next decade. Beijing prefers this formulation, as opposed to a straightforward emissions cap.

Mr Stern said the level of Beijing’s planned reductions remained vague and he called on China, and all countries, to do more.

“China is doing a lot more than many people outside of China give China credit for. I think China needs to do more and I am looking forward to the announcement, when they’re ready, of what they plan to do,” he said.

Washington has faced criticism and limits on its ability to negotiate because domestic legislation on climate change has yet to be approved by the US Congress.

Mr Stern defended the achievements of the Obama administration so far, which have included $80bn in investment and tax credits for energy research, new vehicle fuel economy standards and a process to regulate stationary sources of carbon dioxide.

He declined to say if he believed the climate bill would pass Congress before the Copenhagen meeting starts on December 7.

“From my point of view, the best thing that can happen is a maximum amount of progress on that legislation,” he said.