US, China Promise to Work Together on Climate Goals

2023-11-16

00:00 / 00:00
复读宝 RABC v8.0beta 复读机按钮使用说明
播放/暂停
停止
播放时:倒退3秒/复读时:回退AB段
播放时:快进3秒/复读时:前进AB段
拖动:改变速度/点击:恢复正常速度1.0
拖动改变复读暂停时间
点击:复读最近5秒/拖动:改变复读次数
设置A点
设置B点
取消复读并清除AB点
播放一行
停止播放
后退一行
前进一行
复读一行
复读多行
变速复读一行
变速复读多行
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1
  • United States climate diplomat John Kerry and Chinese climate negotiator Xie Zhenhua recently agreed to restart a suspended climate working group.
  • 2
  • The agreement came at meetings from November 4th to the 7th held in Sunnylands, California, a joint statement released Wednesday said.
  • 3
  • The statement comes ahead of the COP28 meeting, the United Nations gathering on climate change, in Dubai starting on November 30.
  • 4
  • The officials said their countries would aim for new targets for renewable energy and limits on methane gas and plastic pollution.
  • 5
  • They said some differences remain, like how to stop using nonrenewable energy.
  • 6
  • "The Sunnylands statement is a timely effort of aligning the United States and China ahead of COP28," said Li Shuo.
  • 7
  • He is incoming director of the China Climate Hub at the Asia Society in Washington, D.C.
  • 8
  • China and the U.S. are the world's two biggest producers of pollution from gases that some scientists say are warming the atmosphere.
  • 9
  • Li described the relationship between the two countries as "a precondition for meaningful global progress."
  • 10
  • He said the Sunnylands agreement will help "stabilize the politics" ahead of the yearly United Nations climate talks in Dubai.
  • 11
  • The re-launch of the working group marks the normalization of the climate relationship between the two countries following a break in 2022.
  • 12
  • That was when former U.S. House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, a self-governing island that China claims.
  • 13
  • The officials said the working group will deal with areas in which the two countries can work together.
  • 14
  • They include reducing methane, increasing efficiency and the economic system in which materials are reused, called the "circular economy."
  • 15
  • Additionally, the group will exchange information on policies and technologies to reduce pollution.
  • 16
  • It will also aim to reduce forest loss and plastic pollution.
  • 17
  • China continues to approve new power plants that burn coal to guarantee its energy security.
  • 18
  • The United States and China said they support a declaration by the G20, a group of the world's largest economies, to triple global renewable energy production ability by 2030.
  • 19
  • They also agreed to speed up the use of energy resources other than coal, oil and gas.
  • 20
  • The joint statement said they expect "meaningful" reductions in pollution from the power industry before 2031.
  • 21
  • But China described the idea of ending nonrenewable energy as "unrealistic."
  • 22
  • The statement listed additional points of agreement.
  • 23
  • Both sides said they agreed to include methane in their 2035 climate goals.
  • 24
  • It is the first time China has made such a promise.
  • 25
  • They also promised to start "at least five" large projects in which they will work together to capture, use and store carbon by the end of 2030.
  • 26
  • Li said COP28, the yearly UN climate meeting, still "has its work cut out," especially with nonrenewable energy.
  • 27
  • "China also needs to consider what further ambition can be brought to COP," he added.
  • 28
  • "Stopping the approval of new coal power projects is a good next step."
  • 29
  • I'm Gregory Stachel.
  • 1
  • United States climate diplomat John Kerry and Chinese climate negotiator Xie Zhenhua recently agreed to restart a suspended climate working group.
  • 2
  • The agreement came at meetings from November 4th to the 7th held in Sunnylands, California, a joint statement released Wednesday said. The statement comes ahead of the COP28 meeting, the United Nations gathering on climate change, in Dubai starting on November 30.
  • 3
  • The officials said their countries would aim for new targets for renewable energy and limits on methane gas and plastic pollution. They said some differences remain, like how to stop using nonrenewable energy.
  • 4
  • "The Sunnylands statement is a timely effort of aligning the United States and China ahead of COP28," said Li Shuo. He is incoming director of the China Climate Hub at the Asia Society in Washington, D.C.
  • 5
  • China and the U.S. are the world's two biggest producers of pollution from gases that some scientists say are warming the atmosphere. Li described the relationship between the two countries as "a precondition for meaningful global progress." He said the Sunnylands agreement will help "stabilize the politics" ahead of the yearly United Nations climate talks in Dubai.
  • 6
  • The re-launch of the working group marks the normalization of the climate relationship between the two countries following a break in 2022. That was when former U.S. House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, a self-governing island that China claims.
  • 7
  • The officials said the working group will deal with areas in which the two countries can work together. They include reducing methane, increasing efficiency and the economic system in which materials are reused, called the "circular economy." Additionally, the group will exchange information on policies and technologies to reduce pollution. It will also aim to reduce forest loss and plastic pollution.
  • 8
  • 'Unrealistic'
  • 9
  • China continues to approve new power plants that burn coal to guarantee its energy security.
  • 10
  • The United States and China said they support a declaration by the G20, a group of the world's largest economies, to triple global renewable energy production ability by 2030. They also agreed to speed up the use of energy resources other than coal, oil and gas.
  • 11
  • The joint statement said they expect "meaningful" reductions in pollution from the power industry before 2031. But China described the idea of ending nonrenewable energy as "unrealistic."
  • 12
  • The statement listed additional points of agreement. Both sides said they agreed to include methane in their 2035 climate goals. It is the first time China has made such a promise. They also promised to start "at least five" large projects in which they will work together to capture, use and store carbon by the end of 2030.
  • 13
  • Li said COP28, the yearly UN climate meeting, still "has its work cut out," especially with nonrenewable energy.
  • 14
  • "China also needs to consider what further ambition can be brought to COP," he added. "Stopping the approval of new coal power projects is a good next step."
  • 15
  • I'm Gregory Stachel.
  • 16
  • David Stanway reported this story for Reuters. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English.
  • 17
  • ________________________________________________
  • 18
  • Words in This Story
  • 19
  • renewables - adj. restored or replaced by natural processes: able to be replaced by nature
  • 20
  • align - v. to join a group that is supporting or opposing something
  • 21
  • global - adj. involving the entire world
  • 22
  • stabilize - adj. in a good state or condition that is not easily changed or likely to change
  • 23
  • efficiency - n. the ability to do something or produce something without wasting materials, time, or energy
  • 24
  • triple - v. to cause (something) to become three times as great or as many
  • 25
  • ambition - n. the strong desire to reach a goal or aim