COP26: US and China Sign Joint Declaration To Cut Emissions in the Next Decade

Earlier this week, China had refused to sign an agreement signed by almost 100 countries to limit methane emissions.

The People's Republic of China and the United States of America have agreed to work together on cutting down greenhouse gas emissions.

(File photo)

In a surprising announcement at the COP26 summit taking place in Glasgow, the People's Republic of China and the United States of America have agreed to work together on cutting down greenhouse gas emissions over the next 10 years, the BBC reported.

China and the US are two of the planet's largest carbon dioxide emitters, followed by the European Union, India, and Russia.

The joint declaration by both countries says that they will "recall their firm commitment to work together" to reach the 1.5C°C temperature goal that is prescribed in the 2015 Paris Agreement, in which world leaders had vowed to limit global warming by anywhere between 1.5°C to 2°C by reducing emissions.

It also promises to take steps to reduce methane emissions, speed up the transition to clean energy, and ensure faster de-carbonisation of their economies.

Scientists have agreed that limiting global warming to 1.5°C by 2100 will prevent the catastrophic impacts of climate change.

Xie Zhenhua, who is the most senior negotiator from the Chinese side for climate action, told reporters "there is more agreement between China and US than divergence" on climate issues.

Additionally, US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are likely to hold a virtual conference soon.

It is worth noting that earlier this week, China had stayed away from an agreement signed by almost 100 countries to limit methane emissions and had instead pledged to go about its own "national plan" to reduce them, Reuters reported.

(With inputs from BBC and Reuters)