Smog hangs over a construction site in Weifang city, Shandong province, Oct 16. 2015. Air quality went down in many parts of China since Oct 15 and most cities are shrounded by haze. [Photo/IC]

Guest essay by Eric Worrall

China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gasses, has just called the USA “selfish” for wanting to remain economically competitive.

Trump must be urged to save climate deal

Source:Global Times Published: 2017/3/30 0:13:40 Last Updated: 2017/3/30 7:14:23

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Leaders from China and the US reached an agreement on climate change at the end of 2014, which paved the way for the signing of the Paris Agreement the next year. China and the US are the world’s two largest emitters of carbon dioxide. China is poised to reduce the emissions per unit of GDP by limiting the use of fossil fuels. However, what the US is doing undermines the other countries’ dedication to implement the Paris Agreement.

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Some Western media now pin their hopes on China to fill the vacuum left by Washington in the fight against climate change. But no matter how hard Beijing tries, it won’t be able to take on all the responsibilities that Washington refuses to take.

China will remain the world’s biggest developing country for a long time. How can it be expected to sacrifice its own development space for those developed Western powerhouses?

Western opinion should continue to pressure the Trump administration on climate change. Washington’s political selfishness must be discouraged.

American opinion has enabled the country’s political and legal authorities to freeze the president’s Muslim ban. If it keeps up the same vigor, the Trump administration may not be able to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement.

Read more: http://ift.tt/2ojFwUt

Ever since Donald Trump won the US Presidency, Greens have been desperately shopping around for a new global climate leader. China is the main focus of this effort, though other countries have been mentioned. China’s abysmal environmental track record, and the fact China is a dictatorship with a brutal human rights record doesn’t seem to matter. All greens seem to care about is China’s ability to pay the bills.

I guess China just refused this honor.