China Can Take Reins of Clean Energy Boom Should U.S. Falter | Asia Society Skip to main content

Unsupported Browser Detected.
It seems the web browser you're using doesn't support some of the features of this site. For the best experience, we recommend using a modern browser that supports the features of this website. We recommend Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge

  • Back to asiasociety.org
  • Center for China Analysis
  • Topics
    • Prosperity
    • Security
    • Sustainability
  • Countries & Regions
    • Australia
    • Central Asia
    • East Asia
    • Oceania
    • South Asia
    • Southeast Asia
    • West Asia
  • Publications
    • All Publications
    • ASPI Notes
  • Initiatives
  • Watch & Listen
    • Video
    • Podcasts
  • Events
    • AsiaX
    • Past Events
  • About
    • Mission
    • How We Work
    • Institutional Independence
    • Staff
    • Fellows and Advisors
    • Network of Experts
    • Supporters
    • News
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Schwartz Book Award
    • Join Our Email List
  • Support Us
Search
Asia Society Policy Institute
  • Center for China Analysis
  • Topics
    • Prosperity
    • Security
    • Sustainability
  • Countries & Regions
    • Australia
    • Central Asia
    • East Asia
    • Oceania
    • South Asia
    • Southeast Asia
    • West Asia
  • Publications
    • All Publications
    • ASPI Notes
  • Initiatives
  • Watch & Listen
    • Video
    • Podcasts
  • Events
    • AsiaX
    • Past Events
  • About
    • Mission
    • How We Work
    • Institutional Independence
    • Staff
    • Fellows and Advisors
    • Network of Experts
    • Supporters
    • News
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Schwartz Book Award
    • Join Our Email List
  • Support Us

China Can Take Reins of Clean Energy Boom Should U.S. Falter

Jackson Ewing's Op-Ed in The Hill

A wind turbine is seen at sunset on the south bank of Guanting Reservoir on December 13, 2007 in Beijing, China. The Guanting Wind Power Field is the first wind power plant in Beijing. (Feng Li/Getty Images)

April 10th, 2017

This is an excerpt from an article that was originally published by The Hill on April 10, 2017. In it, the Asia Society Policy Institute's Director of Asian Sustainability, Jackson Ewing, argues that China and other countries will reap the benefits if the United States recedes from the energy sources of tomorrow in favor of those of the past. 

Early signs suggest climate change was conspicuously absent from the just-concluded summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

With Trump recently making good on his promises to roll back President Obama’s climate and clean energy agendas and Xi assuring the world that China will face climate change head-on, this absence is not surprising.

Still, it is a troubling departure from an important bilateral bright spot. In March of last year, then-President Barack Obama and Xi declared climate change to be a "pillar of the U.S.-China bilateral relationship" and committed to ratifying the 2015 Paris Agreement, which they did while bringing on much of the international community with them.

This announcement was the culmination of over two years of cooperation that saw the U.S. and China reach tit-for-tat agreements on clean energy and emissions reduction targets. The two countries collectively account for over 40 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, making their rapprochement the most important diplomatic climate development of this century.

Read the full article here. 

Related Content

  • article

    ASPI Note: China's Doubling Down on Energy Security May Slow its Climate Progress

    What to know about China's 14th Five-Year Plan for a Modern Energy System.
  • report

    Reflections on China and U.S.-China Relations in 2021

    A compendium of 2021 speeches and essays by ASPI President Kevin Rudd on The Avoidable War.
  • article

    South Korea's Carbon Market a Model for the Rest of Asia

    Alistair Ritchie writes in Nikkei Asia about the emissions trading systems in Asia.
  • article

    ASPI Note: Understanding the U.S.-China Climate Declaration

    What to know about the U.S.-China joint statement from COP26 on climate cooperation.
  • interview

    China’s Carbon Market Launch: Foundations, First Impressions and Future

    Jackson Ewing, Environmental Defense Fund's Xiaolu Zhao, and SinoCarbon's Zhibin Chen discuss what China's just-launched emissions trading scheme will mean for climate change.
About
  • Mission & History
  • Our People
  • Become a Member
  • Career Opportunities
  • Corporate Involvement
visit us
  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas
global network
  • Australia
  • France
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, D.C.
resources
  • Arts
  • Asia Society Magazine
  • ChinaFile
  • Current Affairs
  • Education
  • For Kids
  • Policy
  • Video
shop
  • AsiaStore
initiatives
  • Arts & Museum Summit
  • Asia 21 Young Leaders
  • Asia Arts Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Society Museum: The Asia Arts & Museum Network
  • Asia Society Policy Institute
  • Asian Women Empowered
  • Center for Global Education
  • Center on U.S.-China Relations
  • China Learning Initiatives
  • Coal + Ice
  • Creative Voices of Muslim Asia
  • Global Cities Education Network
  • Global Talent Initiatives
  • U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit
  • U.S.-China Dialogue
  • U.S.-China Museum Summit
Connect
Email Signup For the media
Asia Society logo
©2022 Asia Society | Privacy Statement | Accessibility | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap | Contact

Asia Society takes no institutional position on policy issues and has no affiliation with any government.
The views expressed by Asia Society staff, fellows, experts, report authors, program speakers, board members, and other affiliates are solely their own. Learn more.

 

 

  • Visit Us
  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas
  • Global Network
  • Australia
  • France
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, DC