Can we solve the climate crisis without confronting global inequities?
A recent study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA found that white residents in the USA produce more climate pollution than black or hispanic residents, but black and hispanic people are exposed to more air pollution.
And that is just the USA! Think about the global inequities in the "haves" and the "have nots".
And how are we going to lift people out of poverty without making the climate crisis even worse?
If you are a resident in a wealthy country, is it your responsibility to address both problems at once? And what would that look like in terms of national and international policy?
Environmental Justice >
China and U.S. differences in Climate Change Policy
In September of this year, President Xi Jinping of China announced to the U.N. climate conference that China had set goals of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 7%-10% by 2035. As a part of the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate, countries are required to redefine their climate goals or “Nationally Determined Contributions” every five years, and while China and other European Union countries have renewed their pledges to the Paris Agreement by declaring their updated climate change goals, President Trump subsequently ordered a withdrawal from the treaty by the U.S. Congress. While climate change experts are critical of Xi Jinping's 7% to 10% figure and exclaim that China would need to cut their emissions by around 30% to meet the Paris goals for climate change, China had not previously renewed their carbon dioxide emissions pledge and in addition to the carbon dioxide emission pledges, Xi Jinping also set China’s 2035 climate change targets to include raising the non-fossil fuel energy production from 20% to 30% and expanding its emissions target to include all greenhouse gases, noting that “green and low-carbon transformations is the trend of our times”(Reuters). In response to China and the European Union’s action renewals, President Trump referred to climate change as a “con job” in his U.N. General Assembly Speech and lambasted climate change scientists as stupid. President Xi Jinping had called for a stronger climate initiative by developed countries, and while not naming the U.S., he made references to President Trump’s stance. Do you think that the U.S. will leave the Paris Agreement and how do you think that the U.S.-China climate change disagreement will be resolved?
The U.S.'s commitment to the Paris Agreement is currently uncertain, with past withdrawal under President Trump but recent re-engagement under President Biden. China, while setting emissions reduction goals, faces criticism for not meeting the necessary targets. U.S.-China climate disagreements are complicated by broader geopolitical tensions, with differing views on responsibility and action. Potential resolutions include diplomatic engagement, shared goals like clean energy, and international pressure.