Environmental Defense Fund Welcomes Bilateral Talks on Climate Between U.S. and China

(BEIJING – November 12, 2014)  Environmental Defense Fund welcomed the continued dialogue on climate change between President Barack Obama and President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Beijing, calling US-China cooperation essential to achieving the deep emissions reductions that climate science tells us are urgently needed.

 “We’re seeing the emergence of an enormously positive new dynamic between the U.S. and China: bilateral cooperation that includes specific actions within each country,” said EDF President Fred Krupp.

“As we look ahead to the Paris climate talks in late 2015, this level of cooperation between the two largest emitting nations is unprecedented—and essential. But more leadership will be needed. The focus between now and the Paris meeting should be to ensure that commitments from the US, China and all countries are equal to the urgency and magnitude of the problem.”

Separately, APEC issued a Leader’s Declaration announcing the creation of a Cooperation Network on Green Supply Chain, designed to build capacity and share information among APEC members and stakeholders. EDF hailed the endorsement of Tianjin Green Supply Chain Service Center, which EDF helped establish, as the first pilot center for this Cooperation Network.

“Given the growth of trade – both within Asia and between Asia and the rest of the world – using energy efficiency improvements to green the supply chain is a critical step in reducing the carbon footprint of trade,” said EDF China Program Director Zhang Jianyu. “It is also is a practical step forward to green development in the region.”