Sec. 502. Accountability and cooperation with China
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It is the sense of Congress that— successful mitigation of global greenhouse gas emissions to sufficiently avoid the worst forecasted effects of climate change requires global cooperation and coordination of efforts; all other countries look towards the United States and China, 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 China’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 prioritize climate change in its bilateral engagement with China, as global climate risks cannot be mitigated without a significant reduction in Chinese domestic and overseas emissions; the United States and China, 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 should work together, using diplomatic and economic tools, to hold China accountable for any failure by China— 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 China’s Belt and Road Initiative and other overseas investments, including— working with allies and partners of the United States to eliminate support for coal power production projects in China’s 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 China 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; and the United States should pursue cooperative initiatives to shift toward the import and consummation of forest and agricultural commodities that are produced in a manner that does not contribute to deforestation.