People ride along a street on a smoggy day in Daqing, Heilongjiang province. REUTERS/Stringer
China and the United States are the top two biggest global carbon emitters. China has not taken drastic measures to curb carbon emissions until recent past, the US was playing a lead role in devising environmental policies and the Obama administration took several measures to minimize the impact of climate change. Former US President Obama had put a stop to the 1,179-mile Keystone XL Pipeline, which would have carried crude from Alberta tar sands to the Gulf of Mexico.
In Obama’s view, the environmental cost was too much for a relatively modest supply of oil, and would have been at odds with this nation’s commitment to join a global pact to reduce greenhouse gases. He solidified his environmental legacy by putting an end to oil drilling in large areas of Atlantic and Arctic oceans during his last days as President.
During the last two weeks, we saw a contrasting approach by the US and China to climate change issue. Chinese government started working on a comprehensive plan for the control of Greenhouse Gas emission. Main objective of the work plan is to reduce carbon emission intensity up to 20.5% by the year 2020. Moreover the Beijing administration announced plans to set up an environmental police force responsible for enforcing pollution restrictions across the capital in a bid to improve the city’s air quality.
China has also closed several coal-fired power plants and high-polluting factories, as well as imposed vehicle restrictions. The government also aims to close 500 polluting factories and revamp over 2,500 others to meet higher pollution treatment standards. On the other hand, the new US government has taken several measures during the last few days which show a complete departure from the previous government’s environmental legacy. The new US administration has turned its back on the Paris Climate Agreement.
The new US President Donald Trump on the other hand, has signed executive directives to advance two controversial proposed oil pipelines inviting TransCanada to resubmit its application for Keystone XL Pipeline. He insisted that the pipeline will be built with American steel. The President also ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to expedite approval of the Dakota Access pipeline, which would extend from the Dakotas to Illinois.
This pipeline was opposed by environmental scientists and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe who expressed their concerns about water contamination. Moreover, the President has also ordered for fast-track environmental review of major infrastructure projects. The proposed wall on Mexican border is also seen as threat to wildlife migrations and may also affect the flow of transboundary water between the two countries.
Keeping in view the contrasting approached to the climate change by the two countries, it can be predicted that China will play a lead role in addressing the issue of climate change in near future. However, the potential and the role of the US cannot be ignored in this regard. It is the duty of global community and international organizations to voice their concerns to the US government and propose alternatives for the recently signed projects.
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