ELIAMEP: What is China’s current and projected contribution to global emissions?
Prof. Joanna Lewis: Today, looking at energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, which is one of the major sources of greenhouse emissions we care about in contributing to climate change, China Contributes about 25% of global emissions. In terms of projected contribution to global emissions, China’s share is going to get much bigger. It is predicted that 70% of new global carbon dioxide emissions between now and 2030 will come from China.

ELIAMEP: Has China played a positive role so far in efforts to mitigate climate change?
Prof. Joanna Lewis: China is doing quite a lot to mitigate its emissions, and this isn’t necessarily understood by a lot of countries. China has a national plan that outlines all activities they are taking across the county to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They have targets and policies requiring increases in energy efficiency including a national target to reduce the energy intensity of their economy 20% below 2005 levels by 2010. They also have a national renewable energy law and aggressive renewable energy targets

ELIAMEP: What are the objectives of US climate change policy in the Obama administration regarding China? Would it be easier to bring China on board if the US coordinated its climate change policy with that of the EU?
Prof. Joanna Lewis: Climate change policy discussions in the US are moving quite quickly and the Obama administration is extremely committed to dealing with climate change. They have released some very aggressive targets to reduce greenhouse emissions which may serve as a guideline for future legislation. Of course the Obama administration has to work with Congress to develop climate change policies in the US, and this process will take some time.  I think that the US is looking very closely at EU experience, particularly with the emissions trading system, and it is likely that a somewhat similar system will be developed in the US in the next year or two. In terms of engagement with China, the US needs to scale up its bilateral cooperation with China. Since the US and China are the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, it is very important that both countries are part of an international climate change agreement. US cooperation with China could be extremely important in bringing China into a multilateral climate change treaty.

ELIAMEP: What are your expectations of the Copenhagen summit in December 2009?
Prof. Joanna Lewis: December 2009 will be here very soon. In the US, the new Administration only recently came into office and they are still trying to figure out what their position for Copenhagen will be. I think that because the process for passing climate change legislation in the US will take time, even though a lot of progress is being made, it is unlikely it will be finished before December. It will therefore be hard for the US to commit to a quantifiable target by December 2009. However, the US needs to work closely with the EU and other countries to come up with the framework for an agreement for December that will involve all major economies of the world in some way, including China.

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