(Washington, February 9, 2009) – Over 50 of the world’s leading scientists, China experts, political and business leaders recommend immediate action to create a new, groundbreaking collaboration with China to address the urgent issue of climate change. In a report released today by Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China Relations and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, these leading figures provide the Obama administration a new policy roadmap for immediate action with China.
Common Challenge, Collaborative Response was produced by the Initiative for U.S.-China Cooperation on Energy and Climate Task Force, co-chaired by John L Thornton, Asia Society Board Member, Professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, and former co-COO of Goldman Sachs, and by Dr. Steven Chu, prior to his nomination as Secretary of Energy. The report was prepared under the leadership of Orville Schell, Arthur Ross Director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations, and Eileen Claussen, President of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. (For a list of participating organizations, senior advisors and contributors see pages attached to the press release.)
“With a new Presidential administration in the U.S. and an increasing awareness of the dangers of global warming among Chinese leaders, our two countries are presented with an unparalleled opportunity to form a new strategic partnership aimed at averting catastrophic climate change,” says Schell. “Without the active participation of the two largest producers of greenhouse gases being aggressively committed to reducing emissions, efforts by other nations are bound to fall short of being able to halt climate change. This report presents both a vision and a concrete road-map for a new collaboration that could turn the U.S. and China into global leaders on the climate change challenge, while simultaneously helping to transform this most critical of all bilateral relationships in the world into one which is under-girded by cooperation on this crucial common interest."
Today’s world financial crisis should strengthen the need for immediate bilateral collaboration. U.S. and Chinese investments in clean energy, the report argues, could boost the flagging global economy and create new jobs. “If wisely allocated,” the report maintains, “funds invested by both governments in economic recovery can help address climate change while also advancing ‘green technologies’ and industries that will lead to a new wave of economic growth.”
“An effective global response to climate change is possible only with the full engagement and leadership of the United States and China,” according to Claussen. “Closer cooperation with China should be a high priority in a U.S. climate strategy. Working together, the United States and China can advance key technologies and provide a stronger foundation for an effective global climate effort.” The report maintains that a significant scaling-up of U.S.-China cooperation on efforts to avert climate change will enhance prospects for U.S. domestic legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and for a strong and effective new international treaty on climate change under the UNFCCC.
The report maintains that U.S.-China collaboration can help catalyze a new strategic transformation to a global, low-carbon economy that will be more sustainable while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, such close and sustained collaboration between the United States and China will build a stronger foundation for future Sino-American cooperation on other strategic challenges facing both nations in the 21st century.
The report recommends the leaders of the two countries convene a summit to launch a new U.S.-China Partnership on Energy and Climate Change. The presidential summit should outline a major plan of joint action and empower relevant officials in each country to take the necessary actions to ensure its implementation. Following this summit the two nations should scale-up collaboration on:
· Development and deployment of technologies for the continued use of coal for production of electricity. The report notes a key area for cooperation is to develop and deploy technologies for the continued use of coal for production of electricity--the biggest source of CO2 emissions and the single greatest challenge for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. China and the United States have vast reserves of coal and rely on coal-burning power plants to produce about 85 and 50 percent of their electricity respectively. The report calls on the U.S. and China to scale up cooperation in joint research, development and large-scale commercialization of technology to capture and store most of the CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants. This carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology could allow continued use of both nations’ vast coal reserves while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
· Increased collaboration to enhance energy efficiency and to deploy renewable energy technologies. The report also calls for significantly enhanced efforts on other steps to reduce emissions, including energy conservation, deployment of solar and wind power, building “smart grids”, and increasing efficient transmission systems to connect remote wind and solar power generating facilities to demand centers.
· Developing innovative finance mechanisms. The report calls for the two governments to identify new ways to leverage modest public funds into much larger sums of private capital for investment in a low-carbon energy infrastructure.
Full version of the report and executive summary are available at www.asiasociety.org and www.pewclimate.org. To speak with the authors of the report, please contact: Deanna Lee dlee@asiasociety.org, 212-327-9364 and Katie Mandes mandes@pewclimate.org, 703- 516-4146.
The Asia Society is an international organization dedicated to strengthening relationships and deepening understanding among the peoples of Asia and the United States. We seek to increase knowledge and enhance dialogue, encourage creative expression, and generate new ideas across the fields of policy, business, education, arts, and culture.
Founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd, the Society reaches audiences around the world through its headquarters in New York and regional centers in Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Hong Kong, Seoul, Manila, Melbourne, Mumbai and Shanghai.The Asia Society is supported by contributions from foundations, corporations, and individuals. Asia Society is on the web at www.asiasociety.org.
The Pew Center on Global Climate Change was established in 1998 as a non-profit, non-partisan and independent organization. The Center is dedicated to providing credible information, straight answers, and innovative solutions in the effort to address global climate change. Working on an issue that is often polarized and politicized, the Pew Center provides a forum for objective research and analysis and for the development of pragmatic policies and solutions. For more than 10 years, the Pew Center has served as a leading voice for sensible action to address the most pressing global environmental problem of the 21st century. A nonprofit, tax-exempt organization under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3), the Pew Center is supported by a range of individuals and charitable organizations. Visit the Pew Center online at www.pewclimate.org.