US climate diplomat John Podesta met with his Chinese counterparts, including Liu Zhenmin, in a visit in early September, where the two nations discussed their priorities ahead of COP29. Podesta reportedly pressed Chinese leaders to come up with ambitious plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2035. They discussed their new targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, as well as climate finance. The US and other developed countries are pushing for China as well as other wealthier emerging markets such as Brazil, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and India to also contribute. China and other large developing countries are concerned that such a move will “dilute” the obligations of rich nations. The two sides are also planning to hold a bilateral summit on abating non-CO2 greenhouse gases like methane, Podesta said. “They get less attention but they’re fully half of what’s causing global warming.”
