China, France: Climate pact should include five-year reviews

Chinese and French leaders said Monday that any climate agreement reached in Paris next month should include status updates every five years to make sure countries are hitting their carbon emissions goals.

World leaders head to Paris at the end of November seeking a deal on cutting carbon emissions around the globe. In a statement between the countries, posted by The Guardian, China and France said countries’ greenhouse gas emissions should be reviewed every five years in order to make sure they are progressing toward their individual carbon reduction goals.

{mosads}“Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity, which calls for all countries working together for the common good in the context of sustainable development,” the statement said.

China and France stand to play key roles in the United Nations climate summit. 

China is the world’s largest carbon emitter, but officials from the country have said they are willing to work toward a deal designed to cut global emissions. The  country has committed to have its emissions peak by 2030 as part of the deal. 

France is hosting the climate conference, and President Francois Hollande is among the world leaders calling for a strong deal to cut carbon emissions and begin tackling global warming. 

Implementation of a climate deal remains a contentious point. The United States has pledged to cut its emissions by 26 to 28 percent by 2025, but officials have opposed attaching binding requirements to the deal.

But Hollande hailed the declaration between France and China as an important step toward securing an effective climate accord.

“What we have just established here in this declaration is a likelihood that the Paris conference will succeed,” Hollande said while visiting China, The Guardian reports. 

“That doesn’t mean that the Paris conference is definitely going to be a success, but the conditions for success have been laid down in Beijing today.”