Climate: Threat posed by China can’t be ignored

Re: “Climate ambitions could shift America’s global footprint, “(TNT, 1/28).

President Biden’s new Climate Envoy John Kerry is correct in stating that China’s pledge to be carbon neutral by 2060 is “not good enough.”

When the signers of the Paris Accord agreed to reduce emissions, China pledged only to “peak” emissions by 2030. Twenty years ago, China’s emissions were 13.6% of the world’s total. Last year they were 29%, twice as much as the second place US at 14%.

In 2020, China had more than 180 coal-fired electrical plants under construction. Another 170 were being built in countries such as Turkey, Vietnam, Indonesia and Egypt, many by Chinese engineers financed through the country’s Belt and Road program.

In spite of the Paris pledge’s attempt to hold global temperature rise to a maximum of 2 degrees Celsius, scientists now project an increase of 2.6 to 3.0 degrees by 2100.

Good luck, Mr Kerry. Your job will not be an easy one.

This story was originally published February 10, 2021 at 8:56 AM with the headline "Climate: Threat posed by China can’t be ignored."