Hi delegates! Today I want to discuss a somewhat less glamorous facet of the US-China relationship: climate change. Although climate change is not as combative as a topic as, for example, trade wars or militaristic posturing, it is still a critical issue that is sure to see much increased attention in the upcoming years. China is the world's largest total carbon dioxide emissions producer, but the United States is second (by a fairly significant margin). And while the process hasn't been completely smooth, recent cooperation between these two superproducers paved the way to new agreements that seemed to be a promising step in cutting carbon emissions. However, as the Trump Administration took office, the US President announced that the United States would exit the 2015 Paris Protocol and his intent to undo many of Obama’s climate control initiatives, framing the agreement as undermining and damaging to the US economy. Trump’s position actually bears certain similarities t...
Comments
Post a Comment