Podesta Says US and China Narrowed Differences in Climate Talks

(Bloomberg) -- The US and China were able to somewhat narrow their divide on climate finance issues during talks in Beijing this week that also touched on new plans for emissions cuts.

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There are still key differences in the countries’ approaches to fighting climate change, John Podesta, the US senior adviser to the president for international climate policy said, but the discussions were able to help the two sides find a little more common ground on issues, including how wealthy countries should help provide funds to accelerate the green transition in developing nations and protect them from more extreme weather.

Podesta did not elaborate but said the two countries had “excellent discussions” at a series of meetings that he led with China’s climate envoy Liu Zhenmin.

“Notwithstanding some friction in our bilateral relationship, we can find places to collaborate for the good of our people and the good of our climate,” he said Friday afternoon at a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The talks are likely the last chance the world’s two biggest polluters will have for in-person discussions before November, when the US holds presidential elections and the United Nations hosts its annual climate summit in Azerbaijan.

Officials from both sides spent time this week taking stock of the progress they’ve made in their respective climate plans for 2030, known as nationally determined contributions, Podesta said. They also discussed setting ambitious new targets for 2035 that are due to be delivered to the UN early next year, he said.

They also made plans to host a summit on lesser-known greenhouse gases including methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons. While they get less attention that carbon dioxide, they still contribute heavily to global warming, Podesta said.

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