Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
At a special United Nations climate change meeting, world leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao, tried to give new momentum to slowing climate change discussions.
Minimizing the environmental impact of climate change and resource development in the Arctic must be a top priority, if environmental disaster is to be avoided.
China’s economic growth remains high in spite of the global recession. The Chinese government has already spent a great deal of stimulus money, but should strengthen its social safety net to protect manufacturing workers who lose their jobs as exports collapse.
Thanks to the hard work of leaders and specialists in both countries, a U.S.-China climate deal is now within reach.
A recent white paper from the Chinese government explains that China is committed to climate change mitigation and adaptation, through both national and international efforts. As a country that is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, China has set ambitious goals for both adaptation and mitigation, and in recent years it has taken important steps toward these goals.