US plan deals blow to fight against global warming: China Daily editorial

There have been record high temperatures throughout many parts of the world this summer and the oldest and thickest sea ice in the Arctic has started to break up for the first time on record. However, instead of spurring it to make greater efforts to fight climate change, the government of the United States is dismantling President Barack Obama's 2015 Clean Power Plan so it can revive the US coal industry.

Furthermore, the Trump administration has also proposed easing gas-mileage requirements for vehicles, a move that may actually increase the country's climate-changing emissions, according to some former top Environmental Protection Agency officials, environmental groups and other opponents of the move.

It should be clear to everyone that the current US government does not care about climate change, as shown by US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement at the very beginning of his presidency.

There is no denying burning more coal will generate more carbon emissions, which have been recognized as being responsible for stoking the accelerated warming of the Earth's climate. The whole world has been doing what it can to reduce the use of fossil fuels and replace them with renewable energy such as solar, wind and thermal power.

The US, as the world's largest economy and the sole superpower, has always been expected to not just set an example in this regard, but also lead the world in its attempt to slow the pace of global warming.

Former US president Barack Obama's 2015 Clean Power Plan is designed to cut US carbon dioxide emissions to 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. The rule dictated specific emission targets for states and gave officials broad latitude to decide how to achieve reductions. China has also its own plan to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 60 to 65 percent from its 2005 level.

With such efforts by the world's major countries, there were hopes that the pace of global warming would be reduced.

Yet by withdrawing from the Paris climate change agreement, deregulating coal production and easing of gas mileage requirements for vehicles, the US administration has put its own interests and those of its fossil fuel backers above the common good.

The fight against climate change is one we must win for future generations and Chinese officials have reiterated time again on different occasions that the country will continue with its efforts to reduce its carbon emissions.

China hopes that the rest of the world will maintain their consensus on this issue and press ahead with the fight against global warming.