Earlier this month, US climate envoy John Podesta met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss financing for global climate initiatives. This is one of many meetings where US officials criticize China’s sustainability strategies, demanding Beijing do more, while simultaneously undermining its efforts.
The US treats China’s growing dominance over the “green economy” as a security threat, and labels China’s efforts to invest in green energy projects in the Global South as “geopolitical expansionism.”
The message is clear: The US wants China to contribute to the climate effort… but only in ways the Biden administration deems acceptable. This contradictory approach will only hinder the global effort to convert to renewable energy and delay climate goals. We need urgent action to counter climate change, which will only happen if our leaders work together, not against one another.
👉Tell John Podesta to Stop the Climate Hypocrisy!
China has become the lead manufacturer of green energy technology, contributing to approximately 80% of the world’s solar capacity. Production of wind and solar tech has enabled other nations to reduce CO2 emissions by over 800 million tons in 2023 alone. Last week, the US locked in a steep tariff of 100% on China’s Electric Vehicles in order to protect the US auto industry, which contributed $85.5 million into lobbying efforts just last year.
Pierre-Olivier Gourincha, Chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, warned that the high tariffs will “make it harder to coordinate policies that address global challenges, such as the climate transition.” And if we don’t reach global carbon neutrality goals within the next few decades, every person on earth will feel the consequences.
👉Tell Podesta We Need True Climate Cooperation With China!
At the same time, the US demands China invest more money into the International Monetary Fund to help poor nations transition to green energy. However, while Podesta and Yi were meeting, other Chinese leaders were attending the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation with leaders from over 50 states across Africa. China announced an additional $50 billion in funding over the next three years with an emphasis on clean energy and plans to launch 30 new green energy projects.
Over the past five years, China has ushered in an internal green energy revolution, with plans to reach carbon neutrality by 2060. Though there is still a long way to go, the US’s counterproductive measures against China will only slow the global effort to counter climate change.
Instead, the US and China need to work together as two of the most powerful countries to pave the way to net global carbon neutrality. This means removing tariffs on green energy tech, and providing avenues for all countries to make the transition. At the same time, the US needs to make internal change, and defund the world’s highest polluting institution– the US military.
👉Tell US Climate Envoy Podesta No More Green Tech Tariffs!
Read Imperial Hypocrisy of US-China Climate Talks to learn more.
Watch our webinar The Rise of Green China to learn about China’s rise and the evolution of its climate initiatives.
Peace and solidarity,
Megan, Jodie, and the CODEPINK Team
P.S. We're not going to end war until we end the war economy. Learn about how to grow your local peace economy at our Local Peace Economy Learning Hour on Tuesday, October 1st! Come learn why co-ops are part of the path to peace! You can also join our peace economy writing workshop on October 15th.
Take further action:
- Contact [email protected] to schedule a meeting and learn more about China Is Not Our Enemy biweekly meetings, including our upcoming one on Monday, Sept 30th at 7pm ET.
