EU and China step up cooperation in fight against climate change

The EU and China today agreed to step up their cooperation to fight climate change following the 17th EU-China Summit held in Brussels.

In the EU-China Statement on Climate Change adopted by the Summit both sides commit to embark on low-carbon development and cooperate on developing a cost-effective low-carbon economy. The statement also highlights the importance of low-carbon investments and the need to increase ambition over time under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Miguel Arias Cañete, European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, applauded China's commitment to becoming a resource efficient and climate resilient, low-carbon economy. He said: "China and the EU are responsible for around a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. Add the United States, and we have around half of world emissions. Today's statement gives a strong signal that we are serious in the fight against climate change. We expect this to be reflected in an ambitious and binding global climate change agreement in Paris this December."

The EU and China agreed to intensify their bilateral climate cooperation for example in the areas of domestic mitigation policies, carbon markets, low-carbon cities, greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation and maritime industries, and hydrofluorocarbons (HFC). The on-going cooperation on emissions trading will be expanded, in view of China's plans to establish a nationwide emissions trading system by 2020.

Read more:

• EU-China Statement on Climate Change
• Press Release
• Questions and answers on the EU-China Joint Statement on Climate Change
• 2015 international climate agreement