President Obama sits down next week with the leader of the world’s biggest polluter nation to urge more aggressive strategies to fight climate change.
But with limited political progress at home on a cap-and-trade bill for carbon emissions, the conversation is not expected to produce more than general promises and aspirational statements.
“I think it’s going to be very interesting to watch, because I would frankly be surprised if they have an understanding that produces a breakthrough,” said Evan Feigenbaum, an Asia studies expert at the Council on Foreign Relations. “But that doesn’t mean that they won’t be able to do some positive things on climate.”
Looming over Obama’s climate talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao is an upcoming international summit on climate change in Copenhagen, Denmark. The U.S. would like to have agreements in hand from China and fellow mega-polluter India before the summit opens next month.
“We do not expect that Beijing is going to produce a climate-change agreement, but we do expect that the leaders will spend time together discussing how best to proceed and how to work together to make Copenhagen a success,” said Michael Froman, deputy national security adviser for economic affairs.
China, seeking a more positive role among world powers, has signaled a willingness to address carbon emissions but an uninterest in being bullied by other nations.
