As it becomes increasingly untenable to attack climate science, politicians have often used China as a scapegoat to argue for inaction, saying that the US shouldn't bother cutting emissions because anything we do will be undone by China's rising emissions. (Keep in mind these are the same voices that frequently speak of restoring American leadership!)
The tired China talking point was made obsolete with last November's US-China deal, and now, with the announcement of additional concrete measures, the talking point holds even less water. Donald Trump can continue saying "China's doing nothing," but the truth is exactly the opposite. China has indicated it will peak emissions by 2030, requiring investment in clean electricity infrastructure equivalent to the current US energy grid. China has already run seven pilot carbon trading programs, and it announced a national cap and trade program to go into effect in 2017. Now, China has announced it will create a price incentive program to encourage renewable and low-carbon power, to develop new fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty vehicles and to reduce super-polluting hydrofluorocarbons.
Perhaps most surprisingly—because it breaks with the tradition of China's insistence that, as a developing country, it needs financing from developed countries—President Xi pledged to provide $3.1 billion in financing to developing countries and to cut back the financing that China sends to carbon-intensive projects.
Both the New York Times and Reuters framed their coverage around the tough spot the GOP's in now, so with the "pause" busted and China showing a real commitment to action, deniers are left with little to fall back on that wouldn't be totally dishonest. (Not that that's ever stopped them before.)
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