President Obama's Aiming for U.S.-China Deal

"The Guardian (UK) wrote that the Obama administration is making a U.S.-China deal on climate change a centerpiece in its efforts to reach a global agreement at the UNFCCC meeting in Copenhagen later this year. According to the Guardian, Todd Stern, the U.S. Climate Change Envoy, said a deal between the two countries, the world’s two largest polluters, would be critical to reaching a global agreement. During a speech at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, Stern said: “China may not be the alpha and omega of the international negotiations, but it is close. No deal will be possible if we don’t find a way forward with China.”

Stern also said instead of trying to reach agreement on a cap on emissions, the U.S. would first aim for an understanding on technical co-operation, including technology transfer. “He said that would include collaboration in developing new technologies for industrial efficiency, expanding the use of solar power and– perhaps most importantly from the Chinese point of view – developing techniques for carbon capture and storage. That would enable China to clean up its many coal-powered energy plants. He also said there was scope for joint effort on improving building efficiency and developing electric vehicles, where the Chinese have made a big push.”"