Insights | Former U.S. Science Envoy: U.S. and China should work together to help meet global climate goals

By Wu Xinru

(ECNS) -- The 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) will be held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, from November 11 to 22. Recently, Daniel Kammen, former U.S. Science Envoy and Academician of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, was invited for an exclusive interview to discuss U.S.-China climate cooperation and future development prospects.

Global climate goals require U.S.-China cooperation

To tackle the challenge of global climate change, more than 100 countries and regions have set carbon neutrality targets, and the concepts of a green, low-carbon economy and sustainable development have gained widespread global support. Achieving these low-carbon commitments will require strong international cooperation.

Looking at the global climate governance process, the U.S. and China, as the world's two largest economies, should set an example, as Kammen noted. He is very optimistic about what was written in the Sunnylands Statement on Enhancing Cooperation, a comprehensive climate deal drafted in 2023 by the US and China.

He was pleased to see that the statement calls for U.S.-China cooperation to support the G20 Leaders Declaration to pursue efforts to triple renewable energy capacity globally by 2030 while providing financial or technical assistance to countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and other regions to help these nations switch their infrastructure to clean energy.

The statement, in Kammen's eyes, tells a very clear story where the U.S. and China can both benefit greatly. Besides, he stressed, that if one country is neat and organized, but refuses to share the fruits of progress with other countries, especially less developed countries, then development is meaningless.

At the same time, he pointed out that the U.S. and China share a beautiful vision for tackling climate change. If the two sides can work together on a long-term strategy to address climate change, the spirit of cooperation will shed light on many other areas, advancing the bilateral relationship as a whole.

China a significant innovator and clean energy leader

In the interview, Carmen spoke highly of China's endeavor to innovate in climate governance. In his view, China's performance as the global leader in producing solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles is impressive.

In his eyes, AI, machine learning, and the Internet of Things are all opportunities to leverage clean energy. With smart systems, better sensors, and autonomous technologies, the government can manage risky things and make the energy sector greener and more inclusive.

He suggested that China should continue to invest more in education and scientific research so as to achieve its climate goals as soon as possible and avoid potential risks. Education can be a useful tool for the government to nurture the best people, generate more research output, lead to more public dialogue, and ultimately lead to more technical outcomes which should be made widely available.

Those students and professors and people from private companies who make their contribution should be rewarded. Government should set up funds that are dedicated for not just incremental, small steps, but for bold gambles.