China, US agree limits on emissions, but experts see little new

The world’s outlook for reaching a global climate deal next year brightened Wednesday as China and the US — the top two polluters — presented a joint plan to limit emissions of the heat-trapping greenhouse gases that are blamed for warming the planet. The unexpected move was praised worldwide as a historic step in the fight against climate change, though some analysts said the targets aren’t ambitious enough to prevent global warming from reaching dangerous levels.

The statement is an upbeat signal to motivate other countries but the timeline China has committed to is not a binding target.

Li Junfeng, an influential Chinese climate policy

It’s difficult to assess the impact because China isn’t committing to a specific level of emissions. China’s target is for when emissions should stop rising — not how high they should reach. Also, it’s unclear whether China’s emissions would plateau or decline quickly after that. Either way, China’s increases between now and 2030 will dwarf any decreases the US can achieve, scientists tracking global emissions told The Associated Press, meaning global emissions will continue to rise.

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