U.S. must abandon absurd "clean coal" advocacy and learn from China

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Editor's Note: Liu Jianxi is an opinion editor at CGTN Digital. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

As world leaders gather in Poland to hash out a rulebook for preventing global warming, Washington's jaw-dropping advocacy of "clean coal" at the side event has immediately become a target of international criticism.

The coal event, which was supposed to "showcase ways to use fossil fuels as cleanly and efficiently as possible, as well as the use of emission-free nuclear energy," was instantly mocked by the public as a dirty lie.

It's not the first time that the U.S. under Donald Trump has astounded the world with its impudent and capricious acts. Earlier, Trump withdrew the country from the Paris climate accord, arguing that the carbon-limiting deal "disadvantages the United States to the exclusive benefits of other countries."

Lauren Fabius, President of COP21 during a press conference during the UN Climate Conference COP24 in Katowice, Poland, December 10, 2018. /VCG Photo

Not long after it quit, the U.S., together with Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait, refused to "welcome" an IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report, which called for CO2 emissions to be reduced by 45 percent by 2030 for warming to be kept to 1.5C this century. This, along with Washington's coal event, sparked anger among climate researchers and campaigners.

Holding high the banner of "America First," Trump is tearing up virtually every multilateral pact and capriciously withdrawing from international organizations that he believed would bring more costs than benefits to the United States. As the world's largest economy, the U.S. is expected to shoulder its due obligations. But the reality is the other way round.

Since his campaign trail, Trump has been shouting "Make America Great Again." As the presidency is entering its third year in 2019, the slogan has turned out to be a mere political tactic to woo American voters and an excuse to justify Trump's nonfeasance on international affairs.

Under the cloak of "American interests," Trump is pushing the United States back into pollutants. The president is seeking personal political gain at the costs of the American people's interests. From withdrawing the Paris climate deal to advocating "clean coal," Trump's erratic behavior will only undermine the credibility of the United States and drag the country down.

The March for the Climate brought 25,000 people together in Paris, December 8, 2018. /VCG Photo‍

While Trump sits by idly, China's relentless efforts in combating global warming are being recognized by the world. The country met its 2020 carbon intensity target three years ahead of schedule, with the amount of climate-warming carbon dioxide it produces per unit of economic growth falling 5.1 percent in 2017 compared to the previous year.

China's war against pollution is gradually taking effect. Levels of particulate pollution in Beijing dropped by more than 20 percent last year. In the meantime, China's emissions of greenhouse gas per capita remain less than half those of the United States, according to media reports.

China is not only addressing the environment on a national level, but it is becoming a leader on green bonds, green finance and renewable energy, exporting renewable energy systems through the Belt and Road Initiative to other developing countries, which are in desperate need to transition away from fossil fuels to green energy sources.

The significance of combating global warming cannot be exaggerated. Nations around the world are on the same side. It is high time that the Trump administration wake up from geopolitical calculations and work jointly with the international community on the climate issue.

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