U.S. and China announce surprise climate agreement at COP26 summit
U.S. climate envoy John Kerry told NPR the declaration spurs mutual accountability. "I'm absolutely convinced that that is the fastest, best way to get China to move from where it is today," he said.
The United States and China – the world's top two greenhouse gas-emitting countries, which together account for about 40% of the world's annual carbon output – announced Wednesday they have agreed to cooperate on limiting emissions to address the global climate crisis.
The agreement, announced at the United Nations COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, aims to accelerate emissions reductions toward the goals set in the Paris Agreement of 2015. That accord held world governments responsible for emissions cuts that would keep the global temperature rise "well below" 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times, with a target of 1.5 degrees
