A Victory For 2014

As 2014 draws to a close it is important to look at arguably the greatest victory of the year for climate change... of course i'm referring to the United States and China coming together to form an agreement on tackling climate change! In case you missed it, the story is summed up quite nicely by the following news report from CNN...

"As the world's two largest economies, energy consumers and emitters of greenhouse gases, we have a special responsibility to lead the global effort against climate change" -(well duh!) Barack Obama, 2014 

The historic deal was signed November 12th and some of the main points include:

• America to double the speed of their current pollution reduction trajectory
• America's new aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 28% below 2005 levels by 2025
• US and China will continue to work together on the CO2 capture and storage technology that will help clean up coal burning for power plants, this will be achieved through increasing funds to the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Centre
• China hopes to peak CO2 emissions and increase the use of non fossil fuel energy to 20% by 2030 (Biello, 2014)

The agreement and progress made through this agreement hopefully means that the US and China will get involved in the UN's Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris next year, and sign an agreement with the rest of the world's leaders. It would be the first time either nation has committed on paper to reducing emissions. Very promising stuff for 2015!