United States and China will cooperate on Climate Change and Energy
A memorandum of understanding was signed by the United States and China today. The memorandum describes the newly established partnership between the two countries on important energy related issues like climate change and the environment.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu stresses the importance of the memorandum by stating that "Both of our countries understand the importance of clean energy for our economies and for our security. Both of us understand the imperative of fighting climate change. What the U.S. and China do in the coming decades will help shape the fate of the world. [ . . . ] Today's agreement should send a clear signal that the United States and China are ready to work together on clean energy and climate change."
The memorandum could be the start of a new cooperation between the two biggest polluters in the world. Both countries will have ongoing conversations on the different measures the countries are implementing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In the memorandum both countries committed to reaching an agreement that addresses both climate and energy matters. The U.S. and China pledged to cooperate in confronting climate change, advancing energy efficiency, renewable energy, smart grid technologies and other energy technology related issues.
The memorandum is widely seen as part of the negotiations between the countries leading up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December of this year.
