EU Delays Signing Climate Action Agreement with China, Reported by FT

The European Union (EU) is showing reservations about signing a joint climate agreement with China at the upcoming summit, scheduled to commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two global powers. This hesitation stems from ongoing political and economic tensions that have strained the EU-China relationship.

Key reasons for the EU's reluctance include persisting disputes and tit-for-tat measures, limited expectations for the summit outcome, and broader geopolitical and trade tensions. Despite some gestures by China, such as easing sanctions on European Parliament members and moderating trade retaliation on certain goods, significant disagreements remain. For instance, China's policy favoring domestic medical device producers has met with EU countermeasures banning Chinese firms from public tenders in Europe.

Analysts and European officials foresee that the summit will likely result in only a modest joint statement on climate change rather than a binding or ambitious joint pledge. This restrained outlook is influenced by the geopolitical context, including concerns over China's actions and the EU's cautious stance towards Chinese engagement.

Meanwhile, China has emphasised its commitment to green development and multilateralism aligned with the Paris Agreement, signalling willingness to engage constructively on global climate governance. However, the EU's caution reflects the complexity of simultaneously managing both climate ambitions and geopolitical realities.

The European Union's climate goals are among the most ambitious in the world. Wopke Hoekstra, the EU's climate commissioner, has stated that any joint agreement with China should include tangible actions and ambition demonstration. The EU has until mid-September to present a new 2035 climate goal to the United Nations.

It is worth noting that China will not meet its five-year target to reduce carbon intensity by 18% by the end of this year, according to a report that could not be immediately verified. The EU has rejected repeated requests from Beijing for a mutual climate commitment, a fact made known to Chinese representatives.

The news report was written by Dheeraj Kumar in Bengaluru, India, and was edited by Tom Hoguey Clarence Fernandez and Patrycja Dobrowolska. The European Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the joint agreement with China. The rejection is due to China not promising to do more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The EU's climate goals have been based solely on reducing local emissions.

In summary, the EU's hesitation to sign a joint agreement with China at the upcoming summit stems from ongoing bilateral disputes and strategic concerns that overshadow the shared climate agenda, limiting the scope of any joint climate agreement. The EU's climate goals, however, remain among the most ambitious in the world.

The EU's reservations towards a joint climate agreement with China are rooted in ongoing political and economic tensions, as well as differing policies in areas such as environmental science and policy-and-legislation.
Analysts and European officials expect a modest joint statement on climate change from the upcoming summit, due to concerns over China's actions and the EU's cautious stance towards Chinese engagement, which extends to general news topics beyond climate change.
Despite China's commitment to green development and global climate governance, aligning with the Paris Agreement, the EU's climate commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra, emphasizes the need for tangible actions and ambition demonstration in any joint agreement, reflecting the EU's high standards within the realm of climate-change and environmental-science.