China, the world’s leader in renewable energy and the biggest producer of climate technologies, is presenting itself as fully committed to the fight against climate change, stepping up like a ‘hero.’
In his victory speech, Trump made his stance on fossil fuels clear: “We have more liquid gold—oil and gas—than any country in the world.” His campaign hinted in June that he would pull the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement again. For many, it was already clear that he planned to throw a spanner in the works of global climate diplomacy. This new U.S. position allows China to present itself as the hero.
Despite deep-seated political and economic tensions, the two rivals have cooperated in the past, and experts see opportunities for future collaboration. Under the Barack Obama administration, both countries expanded cooperation between Chinese and American companies, scientists, and experts in clean energy and carbon-capture technologies. In 2014, they jointly announced commitments to reduce emissions.
Much of that cooperation stopped under President Donald Trump, who took a confrontational stance toward Beijing and questioned the science of climate change.
The COP, the main decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), has been a crucial platform for addressing global climate issues.
“COP29 comes at the close of a brutal year—a year marked by record temperatures and climate disasters, all while emissions continue to rise. Finance has been our priority,” said the UN Secretary-General at COP29.
China’s climate policy aims to peak its greenhouse gas emissions before 2030 and to become carbon neutral by 2060. China has also been providing and mobilizing support for other developing countries’ climate actions. It is estimated that China’s climate finance provision averaged close to $4.5 billion per year between 2013 and 2022. Additionally, China stands to gain as the dominant provider of green technologies, including solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, and electric vehicles, and it is making substantial profits selling them worldwide.
With Trump promising to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement once again, it’s possible that climate leadership will fall to China, which could bring a new style of climate solutions.
