Chinese Attitudes on Climate Change

The Distortion

To try to make action in the United States less likely, the forces of the status quo often paint a bleak picture of the intentions of other countries, especially China. They will state that China has no intention of doing anything about climate change, that they “aren’t affected” and/or “don’t care.”

The Truth

China has undergone a sea change in attitudes about climate change in recent years. The effects of climate change are beginning to be felt in China, and the effects of the near future could be catastrophic – the Himalayan glaciers that are the source of China’s major rivers are predicted to disappear in the next 20 years. China has recently entered into a number of joint agreements with the United States on clean energy initiatives, and announced a targeted reduction in “carbon intensity” in their economy of 40-45%. They have also made massive investments in the production of clean energy, aiming to become a leader in that rapidly growing industry. The picture in China is complicated, however, as “carbon intensity” (the ratio of carbon per unit of GDP) is an indirect measure of carbon emissions. The long and short of it is that China has opened up to discussions on climate change and has begun to seriously engage in the building of the new energy economy, but they need an engaged United States to partner on truly serious carbon pollution limits.