US climate envoy Kerry says ‘US not dictating’ climate policy to China

By Necva Tastan and Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – US climate envoy John Kerry said Washington “does not dictate” anyone on carbon neutrality as he returned from a China trip this week.

“We don’t – we’re not involved in dictating anything to anybody. We’re involved in following the science,” Kerry told a virtual news conference after wrapping up his trip to China on Wednesday.

Kerry’s remarks came after Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated on Tuesday Beijing’s commitment to actions on carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, and said China must determine the path towards the goals.

Kerry had met Vice President Han Zheng, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Foreign Affairs chief Wang Yi, and China’s climate change envoy Xie Zhenhua since Monday.

In his meeting with Wang, Kerry emphasized how “critical it is for China to increase its ambition and accelerate the reduction of emissions.”

“The path towards the goals, as well as the manner, pace, and intensity of efforts to achieve them, should and must be determined by the country itself, rather than swayed by others,” Xi told a two-day national conference on ecological and environmental protection.

“We’re involved in following the science. And if anything, the science dictates the parameters we all need to live by,” Kerry said, attempting to clarify.

“Enhanced action by the PRC (People’s Republic of China) to accelerate decarbonization, reduce methane emissions, and address deforestation is essential for the world to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius,” Kerry responded to Wang.

Kerry said in a news conference that the US and China “agreed that we need to support the United Arab Emirates presidency to ensure a successful COP28, and we plan to do that and to work together to try to make sure that COP28 is a success.”

China suspended climate talks after then-US Congress Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August last year.

However, Kerry said the two sides will “work intensively in the weeks ahead, and… our next meeting will take place within the next weeks.”

“China has built new coal plants because of the demands of their economy and the demand of their population and their absence of oil and gas, and yet we believe there are other alternatives. China is working hard to try to develop some of those new technologies and deploy the renewables, which will become the clean energy base of the future,” Kerry said.

“China is working hard to try to develop some of those new technologies as well as to deploy the renewables, which will become the clean energy base of the future,” said the US presidential envoy for climate.