World’s top carbon emitters cite progress in new climate talks

US and Chinese negotiators discussed shared goals of stemming deforestation and paring potent planet-warming pollution during three days of talks in Beijing. 

The discussions by the world’s top two greenhouse gas emitters were meant to help forge progress on climate change ahead of the United Nations’ COP 29 summit in Azerbaijan in November and spur ambition as countries develop new 2035 targets for cutting carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases. 

Those country-specific pledges, or “nationally determined commitments,” as they are known, were discussed in Beijing, the State Department said in a statement Sunday. China, responsible for nearly 30% of global emissions, is under pressure to boost its ambition — especially in addressing methane, nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gases, going beyond carbon dioxide. 

Although the country is setting records in deploying renewable electricity, its continued buildout of new coal-fired power plants is a source of scrutiny.

“The two sides reaffirmed their intention to jointly host” a session on methane and other greenhouse gases during COP 29, the State Department said. 

The session marks an effort to focus more attention on the full range of greenhouse gases. In China, non-carbon dioxide emissions exceed the entire greenhouse gas output of Russia, the world’s fourth-largest emitter. 

On deforestation, the US and China expressed their intention “to enforce their respective laws on banning illegal imports and promote global forest conservation,” according to the State Department.

The Sept. 4-6 meetings brought together US senior climate adviser John Podesta and his Chinese counterpart, Liu Zhenmin — two months before a presidential election that will determine how much the US does to combat climate change and collaborate with other countries.