Nations the world over are facing worsening environmental and economic consequences of climate change, due in part to emissions from states such as China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean (CELAC) States. Together, these nations produce almost 40% of the world's greenhouse gases.
In a recent edition of China Daily, IBES research fellow Guy Edwards discusses the advantages of expanding the trading relationship between China and the CELAC States to include alternative energy provisions. Although there is already a bustling trade alliance between the two, climate change offers an opportunity to add additional technologies into the mix.
"China and Latin American countries could launch a climate change initiative through CELAC that could focus on financing the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, forestry, energy and transportation, as well as sharing technology," Edwards explained. China's latest innovations in wind and solar energy would be a welcome addition to the China-CELAC trade relationship. In fact, according to a recent report by the Global Wind Energy Council, China and Brazil already lead the world in power supplied by wind.
In the meantime, however, these countries face marked fallout from global climate change and the continued production of greenhouse gases. "China has a very serious air pollution problem and Latin American countries are vulnerable to things like drought and glaciers melting. So there is certainly an environmental reason for both to unite on this," said Edwards.
You can explore this topic further by checking out a related Brookings paper authored by Edwards and IBES faculty fellow J. Timmons Roberts.