China accounted for about 30 % of the world’ s carbon emission in 2015, says a report released by European Commission and Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. It was a double that of US. Also, China’ s carbon dioxide emissions grew by 3 billion metric tons. In other words, China increased their carbon emissions by six times more than what the US decreased. Numerically speaking, nothing from China can compare to the dedication of America.
The story does not end here. China claimed that they were still a developing country, despite their economic miracle. It resulted in their taking little responsibility on the environmental issue. In addition to this increase in pollution, China proposed a carbon trading system which grants every G20 country a carbon quota, symbolically allowing countries to pollute to some extent. It seems that China’ s proposal is entirely self-serving. If the system were to be implemented, China would also be authorized to pollute from some degree, which means they could keep developing their country and release a harmful amount of greenhouse gases with minor consequences. Naturally, it drives us to think: is China’ s desire to establish a carbon trading system ultimately to justify their incomparably large amount of carbon emissions?
The U. S., therefore, rightfully took the first step to exit the problematic Paris Agreement under this unfair situation. However, what the next step should be is another question to ponder at next year’ s G20 Summit.
The U. S. environmental representative, Cherrise Yeung, defends America’ s policies and trackrecord.
The Environmental Ministers deep in debate about carbon emissions.
Tyler is a wannabe novelist rambling about stuff no one cares about. He is studying English education.
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The Argentine Environmental Minister, represented by Rita Qu, explaining her country’ s stance.
DECEMBER 2017