Sec. 30603. Balancing accountability and cooperation with China
668 words·~3 min read·
/bill/117/hr/4521/pcs/section-30603·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the sense of Congress that— successful mitigation of global greenhouse gas emissions and changes to the environment require global cooperation and coordination of efforts, as well as holding other countries such as the People’s Republic of China
(PRC)accountable for their actions and commitments to ensure a level playing field with the United States and its allies and partners; other countries look toward the United States and the PRC, as the world’s largest emitters and largest economies, for leadership by example to effectively mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, develop and deploy energy generation technologies, and integrate sustainable adaptation solutions to the inevitable effects of climate change; given the volume of the PRC’s greenhouse gas emissions and the scientific imperative to swiftly reduce global greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero emissions around 2050, China should— revise its long-term pledge; seek to immediately peak its emissions; begin reducing its greenhouse gas emissions significantly to meet a more ambitious long-term 2050 reductions target; and update its nationally determined contribution along a trajectory that aligns with achieving a more ambitious net-zero by 2050 emissions target; it is in the United States national interest to emphasize the environment and climate change in its bilateral engagement with the PRC, as global climate risks cannot be mitigated without a significant reduction in PRC domestic and overseas emissions; the United States and the PRC, to the extent practicable, should coordinate on making and delivering ambitious pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with aspirations towards achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050; the United States and its allies and partners should work together, using diplomatic and economic tools, to hold the PRC accountable for any failure by the PRC— to increase ambition in its 2030 nationally determined contribution, in line with net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 before the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC scheduled for November 2021 and meeting a more ambitious nationally determined contribution; to work faithfully to uphold the principles, goals, and rules of the Paris Agreement; to avoid and prohibit efforts to undermine or devolve the Paris Agreement’s rule or underlying framework, particularly within areas of accountability transparency, and shared responsibility among all parties; to eliminate greenhouse gas intensive projects from the PRC’s Belt and Road Initiative and other overseas investments, including— working with United States allies and partners to eliminate support for coal power production projects in the Belt and Road Initiative; providing financing and project support for cleaner and less risky alternatives; and undertaking parallel initiatives to enhance capacity building programs and overseas sustainable investment criteria, including in areas such as integrated energy planning, power sector reform, just transition, distributed generation, procurement, transparency, and standards to support low-emissions growth in developing countries; and to phase out existing coal power plants and reduce net coal power production; the United States should pursue confidence-building opportunities for the United States and the PRC to undertake parallel initiatives on clean energy research, development, finance, and deployment, including through economic and stimulus measures with clear, mutually agreed upon rules and policies to protect intellectual property, ensure equitable, nonpunitive provision of support, and verify implementation, which would provide catalytic progress towards delivering a global clean energy transformation that benefits all people; the United States should pursue cooperative initiatives to reduce global deforestation, including efforts to shift toward the import and consummation of forest and agricultural commodities that are produced in a manner that does not contribute to deforestation; the United States should pursue appropriate scientific cooperative exchanges and research that align with United States interests and those of its international partners and allies, provide reciprocity of access, protect intellectual property rights, and preserve the values and human rights interests of the American people; the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate should seek to work with other countries to require China end its classification of “developing nation” within the Paris Agreement; and the United States should seek to require the Chinese Communist Party to match emission cutting targets established by the United States.