A joint statement from the US and China states “their commitment to work jointly and together with other countries to address the climate crisis.” At the UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 28), the US and China are inviting nations to a summit on methane and non-CO2 greenhouse gases in collaboration with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

With regard to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capacities, as well as taking into account the equity of different national circumstances, the United States and China “remain committed to the effective implementation” of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement on climate change. Their goal is to keep global warming to “well below” 2°C and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C, “including efforts to keep [1.5°C] within reach.”

China and the US Announce Joint Climate Action through Commitments to the Paris Agreement

In order to address the objectives of the Paris Agreement and advance multilateralism, the two nations recognize “the important role they play in both national responses and working together cooperatively.” As part of their commitment to “rise up to one of the greatest challenges of our time for present and future generations of humankind,” they also promise to collaborate with other nations.

Through the Working Group on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s, the United States and China have decided to communicate and work together. The release states that among other areas of collaboration, the Working Group will concentrate on energy transition, methane, circular economy and resource efficiency, low-carbon and sustainable provinces/states and cities, and deforestation. The Working Group, which will be co-led by the two special envoys of each country on climate change, will exchange information on technologies, policies, and measures to limit and control emissions, exchange best practices, and identify and carry out joint projects.

Sunnylands Statement: US and China Unite to Address Climate Crisis with 2035 NDC Commitments

According to the statement, both countries’ 2035 NDCs will cover the entire economy, all greenhouse gases, and reductions in line with the objective of keeping the rise in the average global temperature to “well below” 2°C and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.

Following meetings between US President Joe Biden and China’s Special Envoy for Climate Change, Xie Zhenhua, and US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry in Beijing, China, from July 16–19, 2023, and Sunnylands, California, US, from November 4–7, 2023, the “Sunnylands Statement on Enhancing Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis” was released on November 14, 2023.