Gallagher and Ma Offer Insight on U.S. and China Climate Change Promises
Kevin Gallagher, Professor of Global Development Policy at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University and Director of BU’s Global Development Policy Center (GDP Center), and Xinyue Ma, GDP Center China research and project leader, were interviewed by BU Today on climate change mitigation pledges made by the United States and China at the United Nations General Assembly.
The article, titled “Are China and the United States Really Serious about Climate Change,” asked Gallagher and Ma about the impact these pledges will have in combating climate change, the likelihood that the U.S. and China will follow through, and what must be done next. When asked how serious President Joe Biden’s promise should be taken given any action would require congressional approval, Gallagher said “Biden’s pledge could be a strong push to help developed countries meet their climate finance commitments to the world;” however, he did note that Congress would ultimately have to approve his plan.
An excerpt:
What more must both nations do to mitigate climate change?
As governments and investors alike exit from coal, it is also important that developing countries are provided with alternative plans for renewable energy. According to the research from the Global Development Policy Center, countries’ first submission for the Paris Agreement [on climate] alone creates a $1 trillion investment need in renewable energy. Besides power generation projects, investment in grid connection, distributed energy resources, and power system operation will be increasingly important, given an expected increase in variable renewable energy. The environmental and social risks of these projects also need to be carefully evaluated.
Meanwhile, ending construction of new fossil fuel power plants alone will not be enough to achieve the Paris Agreement. Currently, installed fossil fuels will need to be decommissioned and replaced with renewable alternatives.
The full article can be read on BU Today‘s website.
Kevin Gallagher is a professor of global development policy at Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, where he directs the Global Development Policy Center. He is the author or co-author of six books, including most recently, The China Triangle: Latin America’s China Boom and the Fate of the Washington Consensus. Read more about Professor Gallagher on his Pardee School faculty profile.