Klima-, Energi- og Bygningsudvalget 2014-15 (1. samling)
KEB Alm.del
Offentligt
U.S.-China Joint Announcement on Climate Change
Beijing, China, 12 November 2014
1. The United States of America and the People’s Republic of China have a critical role to play in
combating global climate change, one of the greatest threats facing humanity. The seriousness of
the challenge calls upon the two sides to work constructively together for the common good.
2. To this end, President Barack Obama and President Xi Jinping reaffirmed the importance of
strengthening bilateral cooperation on climate change and will work together, and with other
countries, to adopt a protocol, another legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force under
the Convention applicable to all Parties at the United Nations Climate Conference in Paris in 2015.
They are committed to reaching an ambitious 2015 agreement that reflects the principle of common
but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of different national
circumstances.
3. Today, the Presidents of the United States and China announced their respective post-2020
actions on climate change, recognizing that these actions are part of the longer range effort to
transition to low-carbon economies, mindful of the global temperature goal of 2℃. The United
States intends to achieve an economy-wide target of reducing its emissions by 26%-28% below its
2005 level in 2025 and to make best efforts to reduce its emissions by 28%. China intends to
achieve the peaking of CO2 emissions around 2030 and to make best efforts to peak early and
intends to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 20% by
2030. Both sides intend to continue to work to increase ambition over time.
4. The United States and China hope that by announcing these targets now, they can inject
momentum into the global climate negotiations and inspire other countries to join in coming
forward with ambitious actions as soon as possible, preferably by the first quarter of 2015. The two
Presidents resolved to work closely together over the next year to address major impediments to
reaching a successful global climate agreement in Paris.
5. The global scientific community has made clear that human activity is already changing the
world’s climate system. Accelerating climate change has caused serious impacts. Higher
temperatures and extreme weather events are damaging food production, rising sea levels and more
 PDF to HTML - Convert PDF files to HTML files
damaging storms are putting our coastal cities increasingly at risk and the impacts of climate change
are already harming economies around the world, including those of the United States and China.
These developments urgently require enhanced actions to tackle the challenge.
6. At the same time, economic evidence makes increasingly clear that smart action on climate
change now can drive innovation, strengthen economic growth and bring broad benefits – from
sustainable development to increased energy security, improved public health and a better quality of
life. Tackling climate change will also strengthen national and international security.
7. Technological innovation is essential for reducing the cost of current mitigation technologies,
leading to the invention and dissemination of new zero and low-carbon technologies and enhancing
the capacity of countries to reduce their emissions. The United States and China are two of the
world’s largest investors in clean energy and already have a robust program of energy technology
cooperation. The two sides have, among other things:
established the U.S.-China Climate Change Working Group (CCWG), under which they
have launched action initiatives on vehicles, smart grids, carbon capture, utilization and
storage, energy efficiency, greenhouse gas data management, forests and industrial boilers;
agreed to work together towards the global phase down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), very
potent greenhouse gases;
created the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center, which facilitates collaborative work
in carbon capture and storage technologies, energy efficiency in buildings, and clean
vehicles; and
agreed on a joint peer review of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies under the G-20.
8. The two sides intend to continue strengthening their policy dialogue and practical cooperation,
including cooperation on advanced coal technologies, nuclear energy, shale gas and renewable
energy, which will help optimize the energy mix and reduce emissions, including from coal, in both
countries. To further support achieving their ambitious climate goals, today the two sides
announced additional measures to strengthen and expand their cooperation, using the existing
vehicles, in particular the U.S.-China Climate Change Working Group, the U.S.-China Clean
Energy Research Center and the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. These include:
Expanding Joint Clean Energy Research and Development: A renewed commitment to the
U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center, including continued funding for three existing
tracks on building efficiency, clean vehicles and advanced coal technology and launching a
new track on the energy-water nexus;
Advancing Major Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Demonstrations: Establishment
of a major new carbon storage project based in China through an international public-private
 PDF to HTML - Convert PDF files to HTML files
consortium led by the United States and China to intensively study and monitor carbon
storage using industrial CO2 and also work together on a new Enhanced Water Recovery
(EWR) pilot project to produce fresh water from CO2 injection into deep saline aquifers;
Enhancing Cooperation on HFCs: Building on the historic Sunnylands agreement between
President Obama and President Xi regarding HFCs, highly potent greenhouse gases, the two
sides will enhance bilateral cooperation to begin phasing-down the use of high global
warming potential HFCs and work together in a multilateral context as agreed by the two
Presidents at their meeting in St. Petersburg on 6 September 2013;
Launching a Climate-Smart/Low-Carbon Cities Initiative: In response to growing
urbanization and increasingly significant greenhouse gas emissions from cities and
recognizing the potential for local leaders to undertake significant climate action, the United
States and China will establish a new initiative on Climate-Smart/Low-Carbon Cities under
the CCWG. As a first step, the United States and China will convene a Climate-Smart/ Low-
Carbon Cities Summit where leading cities from both countries will share best practices, set
new goals and celebrate city-level leadership in reducing carbon emissions and building
resilience;
Promoting Trade in Green Goods: Encouraging bilateral trade in sustainable environmental
goods and clean energy technologies, including through a U.S. trade mission led by
Secretaries Moniz and Pritzker in April 2015 that will focus on smart low-carbon cities and
smart low-carbon growth technologies; and
Demonstrating Clean Energy on the Ground: Additional pilot programs, feasibility studies
and other collaborative projects in the areas of building efficiency, boiler efficiency, solar
energy and smart grids.