The 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, from November 11th to 22nd. Recently, China News Network invited Daniel Kammen, former science envoy of the US State Department and academician of the US Academy of Arts and Sciences, to give an exclusive interview, analyzing topics such as climate cooperation and future prospects between China and the United States.
To address the challenges of global climate change, more than 100 countries and regions have set carbon neutrality targets, and green low-carbon economy and sustainable development have become a global consensus. To fulfill low-carbon commitments, countries around the world must join hands.
Looking at the global climate governance process, in Koman’s view, as the world’s two largest economies, the United States and China need to set an example. He is also optimistic about the content of the “Sunshine Village Statement on Strengthening Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis” (hereinafter referred to as the “Sunshine Village Statement”) released by the two countries at the end of 2023. The statement calls for cooperation between the United States and China to triple the installed capacity of renewable energy by 2030, while providing financial or technical assistance to countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and other regions to help their infrastructure transition to clean energy.
Koman stated that the significance of the ‘Sunshine Land’ declaration is very clear, and if implemented, both the United States and China will benefit from it. At the same time, he emphasized that if a country develops prosperously, stably and orderly, but refuses to share the fruits of development with other countries, especially underdeveloped countries, then development is meaningless.
Meanwhile, Koman pointed out that the United States and China share a common vision in addressing climate change. If both sides can cooperate on the long-term strategy of addressing climate issues, the spirit of cooperation will radiate to many other fields, which will help promote the overall development of bilateral relations.
In the interview, Koman repeatedly praised China’s innovative capabilities in the process of climate governance. In his view, as a global leader in the production of solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles, China’s performance is impressive.
According to his observation, currently, clean energy is riding on the “east wind” of technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. With the help of intelligent systems, advanced sensors, and autonomous technologies, the government can carry out comprehensive governance of low-carbon processes in various fields, utilize technological changes, and promote the development of the energy industry towards a greener and more inclusive direction.
Therefore, Koman believes that if China wants to achieve its climate goals as soon as possible and avoid potential risks, it can continue to increase investment in education and research. Let education cultivate outstanding talents, create more research output, facilitate more public dialogue, ultimately produce more technological achievements, and make them widely applied.
Koman suggests that in the field of climate governance, the government should provide rewards for those who have made contributions, such as students, professors, and private enterprise researchers. In addition, dedicated funds can be established to reward not only incremental efforts but also encourage bolder attempts.