In 2013, China alone was responsible for 29% of the worlds carbon pollution which was about twice as much as the US. However, presidents Barack Obama and Xi Jinping have reached a deal which will see a cut to carbon pollution in major US and Chinese cities.
It is said that Beijing, alongside 10 other Chinese cities, will peak their greenhouse gas emissions as early as 2020 - a decade ahead of their existing target!
Additionally, over a dozen major metropolitan areas in the US are pledging an 80% cut in emissions by 2050 with the likes of Atlanta, New York, and Phoenix also putting forward new climate commitments.
In a fact sheet, the White House has said: "The commitment of so many of its largest cities to early peaking highlights China’s resolve to take comprehensive action across all levels of government to achieve its national target."
Also Brian Deese, a senior adviser to Obama, has said that: "the two largest emitters in the world are taking seriously our commitment to meet the ambitious goals set last year."
However, some of the most polluted cities in China, and the ones most dependent on coal, were not on the list of cities making this commitment.
