Chairman Kerry and distinguished Members of the Committee, I am delighted to have the opportunity to discuss China’s efforts to address climate change and the prospects for U.S.-China cooperation on this critical issue.
I. Introduction
China’s climate policy is driven by the belief, widely shared within the government elite, that a lower carbon economy will be good for economic modernization, that there is money to be made through the development and sale of climate-related technologies, and that domestic energy security depends in part on expanding the role of renewable energy resources at home. When useful, China’s leaders also link climate change mitigation to domestic environmental concerns such as air quality and flood prevention.
Many in China also appreciate the serious challenges the country will face if the global climate is not stabilized: an estimated 37% decline in agricultural output of three of the country’s four major grains by 2050; rising sea levels that threaten hundreds of millions along China’s wealthy coastal region; and increasing desertification that already plagues more than 20% of the country. In interviews, farmers in rural China will often attribute their poor land quality and growing water scarcity to climate change. Nonetheless, few within China’s elite discuss climate change with a sense of urgency; the priorities remain continued rapid economic growth and social stability. To the extent that these priorities coincide with addressing climate change, China’s leaders are enthusiastic about moving forward to address this global challenge.
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