US, China Promise to Work Together on Climate Goals

US, China Promise to Work Together on Climate Goals

中国，美国承诺共同努力实现气候目标

【原文听力】

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　　By Gregory Stachel

　　15 November 2023

　　United States climate diplomat John Kerry and Chinese climate negotiator Xie Zhenhua recently agreed to restart a suspended climate working group.

　　The agreement came at meetings from November 4th to the 7th held in Sunnylands, California, a joint statement released Wednesday said. The statement comes ahead of the COP28 meeting, the United Nations gathering on climate change, in Dubai starting on November 30.

　　The officials said their countries would aim for new targets for renewable energy and limits on methane gas and plastic pollution. They said some differences remain, like how to stop using nonrenewable energy.

　　"The Sunnylands statement is a timely effort of aligning the United States and China ahead of COP28," said Li Shuo. He is incoming director of the China Climate Hub at the Asia Society in Washington, D.C.

　　China and the U.S. are the world's two biggest producers of pollution from gases that some scientists say are warming the atmosphere. Li described the relationship between the two countries as "a precondition for meaningful global progress." He said the Sunnylands agreement will help "stabilize the politics" ahead of the yearly United Nations climate talks in Dubai.

　　The officials said the working group will deal with areas in which the two countries can work together. They include reducing methane, increasing efficiency and the economic system in which materials are reused, called the "circular economy." Additionally, the group will exchange information on policies and technologies to reduce pollution. It will also aim to reduce forest loss and plastic pollution.

　　‘Unrealistic'

　　China continues to approve new power plants that burn coal to guarantee its energy security.

　　The United States and China said they support a declaration by the G20, a group of the world's largest economies, to triple global renewable energy production ability by 2030. They also agreed to speed up the use of energy resources other than coal, oil and gas.

　　The joint statement said they expect "meaningful" reductions in pollution from the power industry before 2031. But China described the idea of ending nonrenewable energy as "unrealistic."

　　The statement listed additional points of agreement. Both sides said they agreed to include methane in their 2035 climate goals. It is the first time China has made such a promise. They also promised to start "at least five" large projects in which they will work together to capture, use and store carbon by the end of 2030.

　　Li said COP28, the yearly UN climate meeting, still "has its work cut out," especially with nonrenewable energy.

　　"China also needs to consider what further ambition can be brought to COP," he added. "Stopping the approval of new coal power projects is a good next step."

　　I'm Gregory Stachel.

　　David Stanway reported this story for Reuters. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English.

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　　由格雷戈里·斯塔切尔撰写

　　2023年11月15日

　　美国气候外交官约翰·克里和中国气候谈判代表解振华最近同意重启一个暂停的气候工作组。

　　根据周三发布的一份联合声明，这个协议是在11月4日至7日在加利福尼亚州的阳光之地举行的会议上达成的。这份声明是在联合国气候变化大会COP28会议之前发布的，该会议将于11月30日在迪拜开始。

　　官员们表示，他们的国家将设定新的可再生能源目标，并限制甲烷气体和塑料污染。他们表示，仍然存在一些分歧，比如如何停止使用不可再生能源。

　　华盛顿亚洲协会中国气候中心即将上任的主任李硕表示：“阳光之地声明是在COP28之前调整美国和中国的及时努力。”

　　中国和美国是世界上最大的两个温室气体污染源，一些科学家说这些气体正在加热大气。李硕将两国之间的关系描述为“实现有意义的全球进步的前提条件”。他说，阳光之地协议将有助于“稳定政治”，以备在迪拜举行的年度联合国气候谈判。

　　官员们表示，工作组将处理两国可以共同合作的领域。包括减少甲烷，提高效率和被称为“循环经济”的经济系统，在这个系统中，材料被重复使用。此外，该组将交流减少污染的政策和技术信息。它还将旨在减少森林损失和塑料污染。

　　'不切实际'。

　　中国继续批准新的燃煤电厂以保证其能源安全。

　　美国和中国表示，他们支持G20（世界最大经济体的一个集团）的声明，到2030年将全球可再生能源生产能力提高三倍。他们还同意加快使用煤炭、石油和天然气以外的能源资源。

　　联合声明表示，他们期望在2031年之前电力行业的污染有“有意义”的减少。但中国将结束非可再生能源的想法描述为“不切实际”。

　　声明列出了其他一些共识。双方都表示，他们同意将甲烷纳入他们的2035年气候目标。这是中国首次做出这样的承诺。他们还承诺到2030年底开始“至少五个”大型项目，他们将共同努力捕获、使用和储存碳。

　　李硕表示，联合国每年的气候会议COP28仍然“有很多工作要做”，尤其是在非可再生能源方面。

　　他补充说：“中国也需要考虑在COP上可以带来什么更大的雄心。” “停止批准新的燃煤电厂项目是一个好的下一步。”

　　我是格雷戈里·斯塔切尔。

　　这个故事是David Stanway为路透社报道的。格雷戈里·斯塔切尔为VOA学英语改编了它。

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　　这个故事中的词汇

　　renewables – adj. 通过自然过程恢复或替换：能够被自然替换。

　　align – v. 加入支持或反对某事的团体。

　　global – adj.涉及全世界。

　　stabilize – adj. 处于不易改变或可能改变的良好状态或条件。

　　efficiency – n.不浪费材料、时间或能源地做某事或生产某物的能力。

　　triple – v.使（某事物）变为原来的三倍。

　　ambition – n.达到目标或目标的强烈愿望。