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发帖数: 372 | 1 http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40106281
Paris climate deal: EU and China rebuff Trump
By Matt McGrath
Environment correspondent
4 hours ago
From the section Science & Environment
GETTY IMAGES
Chinese and EU leaders are to agree a joint statement on the Paris climate
agreement saying it is "an imperative more important than ever".
A draft of the document, seen by the BBC, stresses the "highest political
commitment" to implement the deal.
It will be widely seen as a rebuff to the US, as President Trump deliberates
on withdrawal from the accord.
The joint statement will be published on Friday after a summit in Brussels.
For more than a year, Chinese and EU officials have been working behind the
scenes to agree a joint statement on climate change and clean energy.
The document highlights the dangers posed by rising temperatures, "as a
national security issue and multiplying factor of social and political
fragility," while pointing out that the transition to clean energy creates
jobs and economic growth.
"The EU and China consider the Paris agreement as an historic achievement
further accelerating the irreversible global low greenhouse gas emission and
climate resilient development," the draft document says.
"The Paris Agreement is proof that with shared political will and mutual
trust, multilateralism can succeed in building fair and effective solutions
to the most critical global problems of our time. The EU and China underline
their highest political commitment to the effective implementation of the
Paris Agreement in all its aspects."
What is climate change?
Climate deal is essential, says UN chief
Both sides say they will step up action to and "forge ahead with further
policies and measures" to implement their national plans on cutting carbon.
Significantly, both the EU and China agree that they will outline their long
term low carbon strategies by 2020.
EU
Image caption
EU climate commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete greets his Chinese
counterpart at recent climate talks in Marrakech
The document outlines other areas of co-operation including on the
development and linking of carbon markets. There will also be bilateral work
on energy labelling, energy performance standards and the performance
standards of buildings.
"The EU and China are joining forces to forge ahead on the implementation of
the Paris agreement and accelerate the global transition to clean energy,"
said EU climate commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete.
"No one should be left behind, but the EU and China have decided to move
forward."
Why does Trump want to leave climate deal?
grey line
What was agreed in Paris?
Climate change, or global warming, refers to the damaging effect of gases,
or emissions, released from industry and agriculture on the atmosphere.
The Paris accord is meant to limit the global rise in temperature attributed
to emissions.
Countries agreed to:
Keep global temperatures "well below" the level of 2C (3.6F) above pre-
industrial times and "endeavour to limit" them even more, to 1.5C
Limit the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by human activity to the same
levels that trees, soil and oceans can absorb naturally, beginning at some
point between 2050 and 2100
Review each country's contribution to cutting emissions every five years so
they scale up to the challenge
Enable rich countries to help poorer nations by providing "climate finance"
to adapt to climate change and switch to renewable energy
To date, 147 out of the 197 countries have ratified the accord, including
the US, where the accord entered into force last November.
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grey line
The increased co-operation between the EU and China comes as reports
indicate a further cooling in the US towards the Paris accord.
Several sources, quoted by US media, suggest that President Trump is set to
pull out. The President himself tweeted enigmatically that he would announce
his decision over the next few days.
This comes after the President failed to find common ground with other
global leaders at G7 summit in Taormina, Sicily. In the wake of that meeting
, German Chancellor Angela Merkel vented her frustration with the US
position.
"The entire discussion about climate was very difficult, if not to say very
dissatisfying," she told reporters.
"There are no indications whether the United States will stay in the Paris
Agreement or not."
Media caption
California to 'work with China' on climate
The new move by the EU and China was warmly welcomed by environmental
campaigners, rattled by the prospect of the world's second largest emitter
of carbon pulling out of the globally supported agreement.
"If US-China climate cooperation gave birth to the Paris Agreement, now it
is up to EU and China to defend and enhance it," said Li Shuo, from
Greenpeace.
"The pair has the potential to become the new driver for international
climate diplomacy."
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