US, China vow to boost climate efforts amid ‘increasing dangers,’ announce formation of joint Climate Change Working Group

by Ben Geman, E2 Wire, The Hill, April 14, 2013

China and the United States, citing the “overwhelming scientific consensus” on human-induced climate change and its worsening effects, are pledging to boost cooperation through an agreement unveiled during Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit.

“The United States of America and the People's Republic of China recognize that the increasing dangers presented by climate change measured against the inadequacy of the global response requires a more focused and urgent initiative,” the two nations said in a joint statement Saturday.

China and the U.S. announced a new “Climate Change Working Group,” which will present a report at the next meeting of the joint Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Washington, D.C. in July.

“In keeping with the vision shared by the leaders of the two countries, the Working Group will begin immediately to determine and finalize ways in which they can advance cooperation on technology, research, conservation, and alternative and renewable energy. They will place this initiative on a faster track through the S&ED next slated to meet this summer,” the announcement states.

The two nations together noted the “sharp rise” in global temperatures over the past century, as well as  “alarming” ocean acidification, rapidly vanishing Arctic sea ice, and the “striking incidence of extreme weather events occurring all over the world.”

Todd Stern, the State Department’s special envoy for climate change and Xie Zhenhua, vice chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission, will lead the working group effort.

The new working group will review the two countries’ existing cooperation and ways to improve it, and look for new areas of “concrete, cooperative action” on “green” and low-carbon economic growth.

China and the U.S. have a series of existing cooperation agreements on low-carbon energy, but Kerry said Saturday that the new agreement elevates the status of the nations’ joint efforts.

“By agreeing to raise the issue of climate change and energy policy to the ministerial level and put it into the Strategic and Economic Dialogue which we will be sharing in July, we have put on an accelerated basis, at a higher level, our joint efforts with respect to energy and climate,” Kerry said during a joint appearance with Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi in Beijing Saturday.

“And I think that globally, that will be a very significant step and significant message,” he said.

China, with its rapid industrial growth and heavy use of coal, overtook the U.S. as the world’s largest greenhouse gas-emitting nation about a half-dozen years ago.

China’s emissions continue to soar, while in the U.S. a shift away from coal and toward natural gas and other factors have been driving down carbon emissions.

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/293747-us-china-boost-climate-work-amid-increasing-dangers

U.S., China joint statement calls for ‘forceful’ climate change action, after Sec. of State John Kerry talks with Chinese leaders

by Guy Taylor, The Washington Times, April 13, 2013

BEIJING — While the North Korean issue has dominated headlines around Secretary of State John F. Kerry’s visit with Chinese leaders Saturday, the two nations quietly joined in a forward-leaning “joint statement” calling for more action by global leaders to get tough in response to “climate change.”

“The United States of America and the People's Republic of China recognize that the increasing dangers presented by climate change measured against the inadequacy of the global response requires a more focused and urgent initiative,” the two nations said in a statement issued to U.S. reporters and members of the Chinese media on Saturday night.

“The two sides have been engaged in constructive discussions through various channels over several years bilaterally and multilaterally, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change process and the Major Economies Forum,” the statement read. “In addition, both sides consider that the overwhelming scientific consensus regarding climate change constitutes a compelling call to action crucial to having a global impact on climate change.”

The issue of climate change and pollution has gained notably traction in Chinese political circles during recent years since the capitol city of Beijing is widely regarded as having increasing difficulty with smog and other air quality issues.

Smog lay thick in the air as Mr. Kerry arrived in the city on Saturday morning.

While it is common to see residents wearing surgical masks — partially to protect from the spread of common diseases and partially to block the flow of polluted particles into their lungs — life in the city carries on unabated.

A U.S. official speaking casually with a reporter from The Washington Times, however, suggested the smog was thick enough that “if we were in Los Angeles, everyone would be like ‘stay inside!’

The joint statement, meanwhile, noted a “sharp rise in global average temperatures over the past century, the alarming acidification of our oceans, the rapid loss of Arctic sea ice, and the striking incidence of extreme weather events occurring all over the world.”

“Forceful, nationally appropriate action by the United States and China — including large-scale cooperative action — is more critical than ever,” the statement read.  “Such action is crucial both to contain climate change and to set the kind of powerful example that can inspire the world.”

In order to achieve this goal of elevating the climate change challenge as a higher priority, the two countries agreed to initiate a “Climate Change Working Group,” which will “begin immediately to determine and finalize ways in which they can advance cooperation on technology, research, conservation, and alternative and renewable energy.”

Both sides also noted a “common interest in developing and deploying new environmental and clean energy technologies that promote economic prosperity and job creation while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/13/us-china-issue-joint-statement-calls-forceful-clim/

John Kerry, passionate advocate for climate change action [MUST SEE VIDEO -- PLEASE PASS IT ON]

Kerry pledges to confront climate change: "I will be a passionate advocate" of action

by Rebecca Leber, Climate Progress, January 24, 2013

At his confirmation hearing for Secretary of State, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) took a strong position on the urgent need for climate action.

Kerry’s likely confirmation is good news for confronting climate change. He has a long career as a climate hawk, taking to the Senate floor to call for action on our “biggest long-term threat” to national security. With the fate of the Keystone XL pipeline in the next Secretary of State’s hands, his remarks may mean some hope for the administration’s decision on the tar sands project. He urged senators to consider the cost of climate inaction, saying “I will spend a lot of time trying to persuade you and other colleagues of this.”

Kerry responded forcefully to Sen. John Barrasso’s (R-WY) concerns over environmental protections hampering the economy:

I would respectfully say to you that climate change is not something to be feared in response to — the steps to respond to — it’s to be feared if we don’t. 3,500 communities in our nation last year broke records for heat … and we had a derailment because of it. We had record fires. We had record levels of damage from sandy, $70 billion. If we can’t see the downside of spending that money and risking lives for all the changes that are taking place, to agriculture, to our communities, the ocean and so forth, we are ignoring what science is telling us. I will be a passionate advocate on this not based on ideology but based on facts and science, and I hope to sit with all of you and convince you that this $6 trillion market is worth millions of American jobs and we better go after it.

Watch it:

Kerry also noted the extraordinary success story renewables play in his home state’s economy. “I can tell you, in Massachusetts, that the fastest growing sector of our economy is clean energy and energy efficiency companies. And they’re growing faster than any other sector,” he said.

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/01/24/1492061/kerry-pledges-to-confront-climate-change-advocate-of-action/