Climate change was once a key area of US-China cooperation, fostering bilateral collaboration on EVs, renewables, cleaner coal and building energy efficiency in the early 2010s. It also led to the 2014 US-China climate change agreement, which paved the way for the Paris Climate Agreement. However, progress came to a halt during the previous Trump Administration amid growing geopolitical tensions. During the Biden administration, US and Chinese climate envoys worked to help restart the US-China climate dialogue via the 2021 Glasgow Declaration and 2023 Sunnylands Statement. While both countries have shown greater commitment to domestic and global climate action over the past four years, their bilateral climate action has been stymied by ongoing tensions around trade and technology. 

At this meeting, speakers will weigh in on what’s next for US-China climate relations. Joanna Lewis (Georgetown University) and Cecilia Springer (Boston University Global China Initiative) will explore the potential opportunities that exist for the United States and China cooperation or coordination in the climate space.  Kate Logan (Asia Society Policy Institute) will discuss China’s growing climate finance to the Global South, how it differs from financing from developed countries, and what this may mean for US-China climate relations.