Sinica Podcast UCLA's Alex Wang on where China leads and lags in climate change
Mar 5, 2020
Guest Alex Wang, a UCLA law professor and climate policy expert, shares insights from COP25 in Madrid. He discusses China's progress and setbacks in decarbonization efforts, including a rise in coal plant construction and the role of the Belt and Road Initiative in fossil fuel investments. Wang also highlights China's leadership in renewable energy and electric vehicles, while addressing challenges like subsidy rollbacks. He emphasizes the need for California-China collaboration on climate strategies and critiques simplified narratives around China's climate impact.
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Madrid Showed The Paris Ratchet Stalled
- COP25 in Madrid failed to secure stronger collective ambition ahead of the next NDC submission cycle.
- The Paris framework relies on a 'ratchet' of increasing national ambition, which stalled in Madrid.
Paris Trades Binding Targets For Global Buy-In
- The Paris Agreement trades hard targets for universal participation and a transparency-driven ratchet.
- Countries submit Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and are expected to increase ambition over time.
Responsibility Debate Remains Fraught
- Responsibility debates focus on historical versus current emissions and on per-capita metrics.
- China now emits most in absolute terms and must cut aggressively despite historical arguments.
