US Climate Envoy John Podesta to Visit China for Pre-COP29 Talks

US climate envoy John Podesta is set to visit China this week for discussions with his Chinese counterpart, Liu Zhenmin, as preparations ramp up for the COP29 summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, scheduled for November.

According to state broadcaster CCTV, the two officials will engage in detailed talks focusing on practical cooperation, domestic climate policy actions, and the multilateral climate change process. The discussions aim to further collaboration in addressing global climate challenges.

This visit follows their initial meeting in Washington in May, where they committed to working together on reducing methane emissions—a significant greenhouse gas. Their talks in China will include strategies to ensure a successful COP29 summit and promote effective climate action.

The Biden administration views climate change as an area for potential cooperation with China, despite broader geopolitical tensions. Former climate envoy John Kerry established a close working relationship with Chinese negotiator Xie Zhenhua, which facilitated consensus at last year’s COP28 in Dubai.

Ahead of the Dubai summit, China committed to a comprehensive plan to tackle methane emissions, a major issue given its substantial coal mining operations. Both countries also agreed to co-host an event in Baku focused on reducing methane and other non-carbon greenhouse gases.

The United States and China have pledged to enhance bilateral cooperation and capacity building in deploying abatement technologies. They are also working to improve monitoring and standards to achieve significant reductions in methane emissions throughout the 2020s.

However, China has yet to join the global pledge led by the US and the European Union to reduce methane emissions by at least 30 percent from 2020 levels by 2030. Methane, although less prevalent than carbon dioxide, is much more potent in trapping heat in the short term.

Successive UN climate summits have underscored the need to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels to mitigate severe climate impacts. Despite these efforts, the world remains off track in meeting this critical target.

China, as the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, plays a pivotal role in global climate negotiations, making this week’s discussions between Podesta and Liu particularly significant for future climate action.