China affirms environmental commitment

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A new medical study is offering an alarming look at the deadly effects of pollution across the world. As the US moves away from the Paris Climate Accord and its global commitments, China is taking an entirely different approach.

Each year, pollution kills nine million people, the equivalent of the entire city of Bogota, Colombia, according to a report published in the Lancet medical journal.

Recognizing that more needs to be done to combat the pollution problem in China, Xi Jinping outlined his vision for a cleaner nation during his address to the 19th CPC National Congress.

“We have been leading in international cooperation in coping with climate change, becoming an important contributor and leader in the building of the global ecological civilization,” Xi said.

This becomes even more important, considering that the Lancet study shows an overwhelming percentage of the nine million people killed come from poorer nations.

In late 2015, Xi and then US President Barack Obama received much of the credit for pushing through the historic Paris Climate Agreement, designed to reduce greenhouse gases to limit global warming.

New studies show China is on track to beat even its own deadlines for cutting carbon emissions linked to global warming. /CGTN Photo

Now, however, US President Trump says the plan is just blowing smoke.

“The United States will cease implementation of the non-binding Paris Accord, and the draconian financial and economic burdens," said Trump.

China remains committed to the accord, in part because the nation’s rapidly growing middle class wants cleaner air in Beijing and other major cities.

While China is one of the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, Xi praised efforts to turn the corner toward a brighter future.

“The whole country has strengthened the building of an ecological civilization,” he said.

Among the country’s efforts:

– The shuttering of thousands of factories failing emission targets

– Billions spent on solar power and other renewable energy

– Progress on a timetable to phase out vehicles that run on gas and diesel fuel.

Corn growing in north China’s Heilongjiang Province /CGTN Photo

Trump claims the Paris deal “hamstrings” the US while empowering some of the world’s most polluting countries. But history shows the US has overwhelmingly pumped more carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the air than any other nation. As the country grew, factories developed, cars filled the roads, and homes and businesses were air-conditioned.

Most climate scientists and researchers agree that without a coordinated global effort, it could prove impossible to slow climate change and offer a breath of fresh air to nations suffering from overwhelming pollution.