China and US to hold summit on methane, non-CO2 greenhouse gases at Cop28

China and the US will hold a joint summit on methane and non-carbon dioxide (CO2) greenhouse gases during the UN climate change conference to continue dialogue and strengthen cooperation on key topics, a Chinese environment official said.

Xia Yingxian, director of the environment ministry’s department of climate change and deputy head of China’s delegation to the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (Cop28), told news outlet The Paper on Monday that China hoped to join all parties to push for a successful “global stocktake” – an evaluation of progress on climate action at the global level.

China’s foreign ministry announced last week that Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang will be in Dubai for the summit from November 30 to December 2. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Ding’s attendance would “demonstrate China’s positive response to climate change”.

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Climate change cooperation is a key area of consensus between Beijing and Washington as leaders of both countries aim to stabilise ties.

Under the agreement, the world’s top two carbon emitters vowed to include methane in their respective 2035 emission-cutting plans – the first time China has made such a pledge – and work together to control other non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions, as well as curb forest loss and plastic pollution.

“Under the frame of the statements, China and the US will develop specific cooperative plans and projects focusing on energy transition, methane and other non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gases and the circular economy,” Xia said.

He added that China had taken a series of measures to address climate change, including announcing a carbon peak and carbon neutrality target, promoting structural adjustment in industry, energy and transport, and increasing forest carbon sinks.

“In 2022, China decreased its carbon intensity by over 51 per cent, compared with 2005 levels, with non-fossil energy accounting for 17.5 per cent of energy consumption,” he said.

“As of June, the number of new energy vehicles in the country reached 16.2 million, and more than half of the world’s new energy vehicles are being driven in China.”

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Xia also stressed cooperation with international society, saying China would continue its South-South cooperation and help developing countries with the construction of low-carbon zones and other projects designed to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

After wrapping up talks with his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua in California earlier this month, US climate envoy John Kerry said Beijing was “serious” about its climate change efforts and plans to scale up clean energy.

He said China, despite its coal-dependent power system, was building more renewable energy plants than the rest of the world combined, echoing reports that the country was shoring up its position as the world leader in renewable power.

South China Morning Post