China & U.S. Negotiate on Climate Change

Chinese and United States officials held unpublicized meetings in July 2008 to negotiate a bilateral agreement on climate change. Participants, including former Undersecretary of State Frank Loy and White House science advisor John Holdren, said the off-the-record sessions broke new ground, though no outcomes were published. A memorandum of understanding, which was not signed, outlined three specific ways the two countries could work together: use existing technologies to reduce emissions 20 percent by 2010; collaborate on CCS technology and vehicle fuel efficiency; and agree to sign a global climate agreement in Copenhagen this December.  Loy said participants gained a better understanding of the political realities both countries face, but little progress was made on a global climate agreement.  Last week, China released a document saying developed nations should be required to reduce emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, while China and other developing nations should take Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) which are "distinct from international legally-binding commitments of developed countries." Read more at Wall Street Journal