Can We Expect China’s Cooperation on Cutting Emissions? (discussion)
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Related subjects: Asia / Pacific, Carbon Emissions, China, Climate Change, Diplomacy & Politics, Discussion Forum, Energy Supply, Environment & Ecology, Eva Scherson, Renewable Resources, Sustainable Development, TheHotSpring.net Comments Off
I think this is an interesting question. Can we expect China’s cooperation? It’s clear that China has shifted its energy policy somewhat, to take account for the potential long-term strategic economic benefit of being a major source for green energy technology, know-how and to use green energy to fill out the nation’s energy supply and possibly permit exportation of energy or fuels.
Whether that means China is on board for steep emissions cuts is another question. I think China will hedge against any effort by major industrial democracies to slow their own emissions cuts. Beijing clearly wants permission to emit more than it does now, at least for a time, and to reduce its emissions from a peak level well above current levels. Western powers may have to agree to something along those lines to win real substantive and reliable cooperation from China on emissions cuts, over time.
The question is: how long do we have, and are we politically willing or able to go for the still more severe emissions cuts we will need, to offset such a scenario?
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