U.S., China Voice Support For Climate Action, But Warn of Hurdles

Representatives from China and the United States, the world’s two largest emitters of greenhouse gases, told a U.N. conference on climate change in Bonn that they support an international accord to begun reducing carbon dioxide emissions, but both warned against expecting their governments to sign on to drastic cuts. Todd Stern, President Obama’s chief climate negotiator, vowed that the U.S. would be “powerfully, fervently engaged” in efforts to reach a climate pact later this year in Copenhagen. But he warned the world community not to expect that the U.S. can wave a “magic wand” and miraculously produce a global climate agreement. Stern also said that the Obama administration is politically constrained to sign on to realistic CO2 cuts that the U.S. Congress will support. China’s climate ambassador, Yu Qingtai, applauded the Obama administration’s willingness to tackle the climate challenge and said China will make its “due contribution” to solving the climate crisis. But he said developed nations had to lead the way and warned that while China is willing to slow its growth in CO2 emissions, it is not ready to make absolute cuts that would hamper the country’s economic development. “I do not suggest that people in China should remain in darkness … because we have a climate challenge,” Yu said.