U.S. & China Emmissions Deal is First Step but More Needed

China/US flag via shutterstock. Reproduced at Rersilience.org with permission

The world’s two most egregious air polluters – the U.S. and China – announced a deal to cut greenhouse gas emissions during the next 20 years. In Beijing Wednesday, President Barack Obama said the U.S. intends to get at least 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. China’s President Xi Jingping was slightly less concrete, saying he planned for the country to reach its height of carbon pollution by “around 2030.” The peak, the Chinese President said, will result from what he called an “energy revolution” in the country where many densely populated areas are beset with toxic smog. The agreement between the two countries in and of itself represents a major political step forward, but is it substantial enough to avert a global climate crisis? FSRN’s Nell Abram discussed the details of the deal with Asher Miller, Executive Director of the Post Carbon Institute.