US and China jointly announce ambitious targets in 'historic' climate accord美國和中國共同宣布在“歷史性的”氣候協定的宏偉目標

China's online 'Singles Day' holiday sets a record US$9.3 billion in sales  
U.S. President Barack Obama, right, smiles after a group of children waved flags and flowers to cheer him during a welcome ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday, Nov. 12. (AP)

中國的網絡“光棍節”的節日設置一個記錄約合930十億銷售額
美國總統奧巴馬,右,後,微笑著一群孩子揮舞著國旗和鮮花在週三,11月12日(AP)儀式歡迎中國國家主席習近平在中華人 ​​民共和國在北京人民大會堂向他歡呼

 


U.S. President Barack Obama said the joint announcement on the two countries' emissions targets was a “historic agreement” and a “major milestone in the U.S.-China relationship.”

At a Beijing summit, the leaders of the world's two biggest polluters put their stamp on attempts to breathe new life into action against global warming ahead of international talks in Paris next year.


BEIJING -- The United States and China on Wednesday announced ambitious targets on greenhouse gas emissions as part of a “historic” pact that climate scientists acclaimed but U.S. Republicans denounced as a job-killer.
 

Chinese President Xi Jinping said the two had “agreed to make sure that international climate change negotiations will reach an agreement in Paris.”

Attempts to deal with climate change, which scientists warn is approaching a potentially catastrophic point of no return, have long been stymied by the unwillingness of the United States and China to work together on the problem.

But China set a target for its greenhouse gas output to peak “around 2030,” which Obama commended as a commitment to “slow, peak and reverse the course” of its emissions.

And Obama, who faces scepticism as well as outright denial about climate change in the U.S. Congress, set a goal for the United States to cut its own emissions of greenhouse gases by 26-28 percent from 2005 levels by 2025.

“We have a special responsibility to lead the worldwide effort against climate change,” Obama said at a joint news conference with Xi.

China and the U.S., which together produce around 45 percent of the world's carbon dioxide, will be key to ensuring a global deal on reducing emissions after 2020 is reached next year.

'A new day'


But after the 2009 Copenhagen Summit nearly ended in fiasco, salvaged only by a last-minute deal brokered by Obama and China's then premier, Washington and Beijing have started to move closer towards agreement.The two countries have long been at loggerheads over global targets, with each saying the other should bear more responsibility for cutting emissions of gases blamed for heating up the atmosphere.

Christiana Figueres, head of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) organizing the Paris negotiations, welcomed the announcement as providing “both practical and political momentum.”

Environmental advocates hailed it as a “breakthrough,” with the U.S.-based World Resources Institute president Andrew Steer saying: “It's a new day to have the leaders of the U.S. and China stand shoulder-to-shoulder and make significant commitments to curb their countries' emissions.”

But while it was the first time China agreed to an approximate target date for emissions to peak — officials have previously only spoken of doing so “as soon as possible” — the commitment was qualified, leaving considerable room for maneuver.

China has trumpeted its efforts to reduce dependence on coal and oil in the past, and is the world's largest hydropower producer, with a growing nuclear sector.

But economic growth remains a vitally important priority and has seen demand for energy soar, with coal use a significant source of Beijing's notorious pollution.

 

Opposition in Congress

Much of Obama's action on climate change meanwhile has been carried out with executive orders rather than cooperation from an often confrontational legislature.

The deadline for Obama's new pledge is in more than a decade's time but he only has two years left in his presidency. He faces a Congress now set to be controlled by opposition Republicans in both houses after this month's mid-term elections, making passing environmental legislation even more difficult.

In an early portent of the battles to come, the U.S. Senate's new Republican leader was quick to slam Obama's proposed greenhouse gas reductions.

“This unrealistic plan, that the president would dump on his successor, would ensure higher utility rates and far fewer jobs,” Senator Mitch McConnell said.

This year is the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Washington and the People's Republic, and the joint announcement was a rare moment of common purpose from the leaders of the world's two largest economies, which regularly clash on issues from trade to rights and are increasingly seen as competing on the world stage.

美國和中國共同宣布在“歷史性的”氣候協定的宏偉目標

通過Jirtme Cartillier,法新社
2014年11月13日,上午12時02 TWN

北京 - 美國和中國週三宣布對溫室氣體排放的宏偉目標,作為一個“歷史性”協議一部分的好評氣候科學家,但美國共和黨人指責為一個職業殺手。

在北京峰會上,世界上兩個最大的污染源的領導人把他們的郵票在嘗試注入新的生命提前對明年在巴黎的國際談判全球變暖的行動。

美國總統奧巴馬表示,聯合宣布兩國減排目標是一個“歷史性協議”和“美國 - 中國關係的重要里程碑。”

中國國家主席習近平說,兩國已“同意,以確保國際氣候變化談判將達到在巴黎的協議。”

努力應對氣候變化,科學家警告將至的不歸路潛在的災難性問題,長期以來一直阻礙了美國和中國不願對這個問題進行合作。

但是,中國設定一個目標,它的溫室氣體排放量達到峰值“在2030年左右,”奧巴馬稱讚作為一家致力於“慢,峰值和反轉過程中”,其排放量。

和奧巴馬,誰面臨的懷疑,以及徹底的否定氣候變化在美國國會,設定一個目標,美國由26〜28%,從2005年的水平,到2025年削減自身的溫室氣體排放。

“我們有特殊的責任,需要主導抗擊氣候變化的全球努力,”奧巴馬在聯合新聞發布會上與習近平說。

中國和美國,它們共同產生約45%的全球二氧化碳,將是關鍵,確保2020年達到了明後年在減少排放的全球協議。

新的一天”

兩國長期以來一直爭執不下的全球目標,每說對方應該承擔削減氣體排放歸咎於氣氛升溫承擔更多的責任。

但是,2009年的哥本哈根峰會幾乎結束了慘敗後,只在最後一分鐘的交易被打撈促成奧巴馬和中國當時的總理,華盛頓和北京已經開始走向更接近達成協議。

菲格雷斯,在聯合國框架氣候變化公約(UNFCCC)組織的巴黎談判的負責人,歡迎這項宣布是提供“實際和政治動力。”

環保主義者與總部位於美國的世界資源研究所總裁安德魯·斯蒂爾表示稱讚它為“突破”:“這是新的一天有美國和中國的領導人並肩到肩部,使顯著的承諾,以遏制他們國家的排放量。“

不過,雖然這是中國第一次同意以近似目標日期的排放峰值 - 官員先前只說出這樣“盡快”的 - 承諾是合格的,留下相當大的迴旋餘地。

中國一直鼓吹努力,減少了過去對煤炭和石油的依賴,並且是世界上最大的水電生產國,越來越多的核部門。

但經濟增長仍然是一個非常重要的優先事項,並已經看到了能源需求飆升,煤炭利用北京臭名昭著的污染的一個顯著來源。

反對黨在國會

許多關於氣候變化,奧巴馬的行動同時已經進行了行政命令,而不是合作從通常對抗性立法。

截止日期為奧巴馬的新承諾在十多年的時間,但他只還有兩年在他的總統任期。他面臨著美國國會現在設置為由反對共和黨控制的參眾兩院本月的中期選舉之後,通過制定環保法規更是難上加難。

在戰鬥來的早期徵兆,美國參議院共和黨新領袖很快就踩住奧巴馬提出的減少溫室氣體排放。

“這個不切實際的方案,即總統將傾倒在他的繼任者,將確保較高的實用率和更少的就業機會,”參議員麥康奈爾說。

今年是華盛頓和中華人民共和國建交35週年,並聯合公告是從世界上最大的兩個經濟體的領導人,定期在問題發生衝突,從貿易到人權和越來越被共同的目的難得的一刻作為在世界舞台上競爭。

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