In Beijing, China today, US President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping reached a historic agreement, stating their dedication to reducing both countries’ carbon emissions. This agreement between US and China states that US would cut 2005 level of carbon emissions by 26-28% by the year 2025. Likewise, China is agreeing to work towards 20% zero-carbon emission energy sources by 2030.
“As the world’s two largest economies, energy consumers and emitters of greenhouse gases, we have a special responsibility to lead the global effort against climate change,” said US President Obama, addressing the need for both US and China to take steps towards reducing carbon emissions.
The press conference was historic, in that China has never before agreed to any sort of carbon emissions reduction efforts. Some would say that the level of air pollution in China has finally reached a level that can no longer be ignored. Chinese President Xi referred to the new agreement as “an energy revolution” and stated that the commitment to work towards these goals was present in both countries.
The goal is to make progress in a global agreement by the United nation Climate Conference in 2015. “We hope to encourage all major economies to be ambitious — all countries, developing and developed — to work across some of the old divides, so we can conclude a strong global climate agreement next year,” Obama said.