21 September 2015
US, Chinese Subnational Leaders Issue Climate Declaration
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A number US and Chinese subnational leaders issued the US-China Climate Leaders Declaration stressing their determination to lead climate actions in their respective countries, municipalities and regions.

The declaration was issued at the US-China Climate Leaders Summit, an outcome of the US and Chinese Presidents' Joint Announcement on Climate Change of November 2014.

climate_leaders_summit16 September 2015: A number US and Chinese subnational leaders issued the US-China Climate Leaders Declaration stressing their determination to lead climate actions in their respective countries, municipalities and regions. The declaration was issued at the US-China Climate Leaders Summit, an outcome of the US and Chinese Presidents’ Joint Announcement on Climate Change of November 2014.

Constituting the first official gathering of US and Chinese subnational leaders on climate change under the bilateral Climate Change Working Group established in 2013, the Summit brought together local leaders from the two countries to discuss climate action at the local level and to establish new partnerships and commitments for action.

The key outcome, the US-China Climate Leaders’ Declaration, was issued by 29 Chinese and US states provinces, cities and counties, and includes specific targets and actions for each. In addition, the declaration announces the establishment of the Alliance of Peaking Pioneer Cities (APPC) among 11 Chinese provinces and cities in support of the national goal of peaking of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions around 2030.

In the declaration, the undersigned leaders jointly declare their “willingness and determination to lead climate actions” by: establishing ambitious targets, including to control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and promote low-carbon development and climate resilience; report on GHG inventories; establish climate action plans; and enhance bilateral partnerships and cooperation, including through a planned US-China Climate Leaders Network.

Initiatives announced at the Summit include: the California-China Urban Climate Collaborative (CCUCC); an arrangement between US and Chinese entities to design and implement carbon market training programmes in China; and the membership of the Chinese cities of Guangzhou and Nanjing in the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.

In addition, the city of Los Angeles, US, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the cities of Shenzhen and Beijing, China, to share best practices to reduce GHG emissions from the construction of green buildings and from oceangoing vessels at berth. The cities of Los Angeles and Zhenjiang, China, announced they are the first cities to endorse the Subnational Global Climate Leadership MoU, an initiative by the Governor of California.

The Summit, hosted by the city of Los Angeles, took place from 15-16 September 2015, ahead of an official state visit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Barack Obama in Washington D.C., US, on 25 September 2015. [US White House Fact Sheet] [US Department of State Press Release] [City of Los Angeles Press Release] [US-China Climate Leaders’ Declaration] [US China Climate Leaders Summit Website] [Los Angeles Mayor’s Office Twitter Account]

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