The Paris Climate Agreement was historic in part because both China and the U.S. agreed to participate and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. China and the U.S. are the top two emitters of greenhouse gasses. This is a huge step from the Kyoto Protocol in the 1990’s, where neither China, nor the U.S. participated, even though the U.S. has consistently been a top emitter and China’s emissions were increasing exponentially at that time.
As the Trump administration rolls back climate regulations, making it nearly impossible for the U.S. to hit our reduction targets under Paris, China is taking the lead in reaffirming its commitments and even hitting benchmarks ahead of schedule in fossil fuel reduction and the incorporation of renewables into its energy supply. As the U.S. recedes from its global leadership role, China is ready to take the lead on multiple fronts.