US, China announce deal on carbon emissions

Yesterday, during an official visit to China, President Obama joined with Chinese President Xi Jinping to announce an agreement to control future carbon emissions. Previously, the US committed to cutting its carbon emissions by 17 percent relative to 2005 levels; those cuts were expected to be reached by 2020. The new goal would give the US until 2025, but it involves significantly deeper cuts: at least 26 percent.

China hadn't previously set specific targets, although it has raced to establish itself as a renewable energy powerhouse. The country has the largest installed wind capacity and trails only Germany in photovoltaics. Now, Beijing has agreed to work toward having its emissions peak in 2030, a goal that will almost certainly see the country retiring some coal generating capacity before its full lifetime.

As a major manufacturer of renewable energy generating equipment, China clearly has an economic interest in pushing for its expansion. The severity of its pollution problems also provides an impetus to move away from coal for its power generation. In the US, the move away from coal has largely been economic, driven by the availability of cheap natural gas. The impetus for further cuts in emissions, however, may come from EPA rules that are being developed under the auspices of the Clean Air Act. These rules, however, have drawn harsh criticism from Congressional Republicans, who now have majorities in both chambers.