UK should sign climate change co-operation agreement with China, says think tank
The UK should sign a formal agreement to co-operate with China on fighting climate change despite tensions in other areas, a think tank has said.
Researchers at international affairs think tank Chatham House urged ministers to deepen climate co-operation with Beijing, saying the “with us or against us” approach “belongs in the Cold War”.
Deal
In a paper due to be published next week, Chatham House said a formal deal would enable “bolder and more confident engagement” by the UK in China “and vice versa”, allowing the two countries to better share expertise.
Chris Aylett, one of the paper’s authors, said China could benefit from the UK’s “considerable success bringing down its own emissions” and offered a “huge” potential, given the country accounted for nearly a third of global emissions.
He added: “The ‘with us or against us’ approach belongs in the Cold War era. It’s both possible, and desirable, to strike a balance.”
The call comes as Chancellor Rachel Reeves holds a series of meetings in Beijing and Shanghai aimed at improving economic relations with China.
The visit is the latest example of Labour’s softer approach to Beijing after a freezing of relations under former prime minister Rishi Sunak, although the Government has insisted it will “challenge” China where necessary.
The Chatham House paper suggested greater co-operation on areas such as emissions trading and carbon budgeting, deploying low-carbon technologies and adapting to the risks posed by climate change.
History
Jiangwen Guo, another of the co-authors, said: “The UK and China have a long history of successful collaboration on climate change.
“With rising geopolitical instability, and a retrenchment of climate leadership in some quarters, they have an opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of bilateral co-operation, and in so doing shore up multilateralism and accelerate practical climate action, which is in all our interests.”
But the authors also acknowledged the challenges posed by the incoming Donald Trump administration in America, saying the new president’s harder line on China could pressure the UK into abandoning co-operation in all areas.
They said: “To be successful, any new phase of UK-China climate co-operation must therefore account for these challenges and be designed in such a way that it is resilient to the inevitable political turbulence it will encounter.”
A Government spokesperson said: “The biggest risk to our energy security is staying dependent on fossil fuel markets and only by sprinting to clean power by 2030 can the UK take back control of its energy and protect both family and national finances from fossil fuel price spikes.
“Investment in the energy sector is subject to the highest levels of national security scrutiny – and we take a consistent, long-term and strategic approach to managing relations with China and will co-operate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must.
“Through our Plan for Change, we will reignite our industrial heartlands as we seize the opportunities of the clean energy transition, and will continue to drive investment and export opportunities for businesses and communities in the UK.”
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Climate scam
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You are quite happy with scientists producing findings that lead to electronics, computing, flight, nuclear power etc and they are not scams just application of the physical laws of nature, but when those same scientists produce a finding you do not like it is a scam. It is not pick and mix.
At the moment I read that China generation capacity from wind is greater than the whole of the EU. I also understand Solar is up there as well? Solar is going in like there is no tomorrow. their tipping point will be huge. This drives design and improvements and efficiencies in the systems and drives down costs. What is not to like?
US is getting better but its about to be hobbled by an idiot. So no point going there.
From what I hear and read, the Chinese government’s playing ‘both sides of the game’: they’re still very considerably utilizing coal, oil and gas to boost their economy while simultaneously shovelling all the resources which they can summon into ‘green’ energy production because they absolutely recognize that if the world continues on its present path the consequences for all of us are likely to be dire beyond imagination.
But of course Xi and his acolytes don’t have to worry about factoring in voter opinion and potentially impactful electoral cycles!
I understand the path is to shed the coal etc. The way I am reading it, it is purely financial and dominance rather than altruism (though I suppose a city covered in smog is not productive…..). But to get off coal, at their rates of production, they will have to shift huge supply systems and people to other area’s. Suppose its not easy divesting when you are the worlds largest consumer. Never was going to be tomorrow.
I also think that’s a factor, but that they also prefer a world worth dominating!
In all likelyhood the money seems to be on China being at peak coal use and that the use of coal may well start to decline from now onwards. Not only do they recognise the Climate consequences but also the savings on paying for Australian coal or middle eastern oil, it makes them more self reliant.
Are these jokers in Chatham House or something else. Just reading the basics of this it sounds like the UK Government is already putting this to the Chinese. There is something fishy about this unless it’s an April Fool joke early, but knowing this government they are already acting on it
Anything that is described as a think tank, is really some kind of bought and paid for lobbying organisation, dressed up in pseudo-academic drag.
pseudo academic drag ? Is that a bloke dressed up in the usual parody feminine kit topped off with mortar board and sober specs ?
Meanwhile Chinese vessels around the world are implicated in attacks on undersea communication cable assets.
Labour were supposed to be the bastions of oppressed communities but no evidence of that yet with their dealings with China.
It seems growth at all costs, with lost principles.
Labour are so devoid of principles that they’ll be bending over backwards or any old way to make sure Xi Jinping and his crew get what they want no matter how much it hurts. Could Rachel sit down on her way home ?