(Dan Tri) – The conflict between the world’s two largest greenhouse gas emitters, the US and China, could cause disaster for global climate change goals.

US climate negotiator John Kerry (left) and his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua at Cop 26 in Glasgow, England (Photo: AFP).

In August, China announced a series of measures to retaliate against the US after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

Beijing’s decision to stop cooperating with the US to deal with the climate crisis has set off alarm bells.

While it is unclear the extent to which China is withdrawing from climate discussions, the move risks derailing already fragile cooperation between the world’s two largest carbon emitters, with just

The rift in the relationship between the two `giants` occurred in the context of the world witnessing many disasters due to climate change this summer, with record heat waves and wildfires sweeping the US and

The United States is preparing to pass landmark climate legislation at home, but overall the world’s governments have not acted strongly enough to avoid breaching agreed-upon climate goals.

`US-China relations are often like a roller coaster and we regularly see flare-ups. You can freeze negotiations but you can’t freeze the effects of climate change,` Laurence said.

Ms. Laurence added that it is in China’s and America’s own interests to act on climate issues and restart dialogue.

Need to coordinate action

Serious floods killed more than 1,000 people in Pakistan in August. Natural disasters such as drought, floods, and forest fires have occurred in many parts of the world in 2022 (Photo: Reuters).

The United States and China have accused each other of not doing enough to cut planet-heating emissions at various points in recent years.

However, the two powers achieved a breakthrough in negotiations in Glasgow, England last November, when the two sides suddenly agreed to an urgent joint plan to cut emissions.

According to Nate Hultman, a former aide to Mr. Kerry and now director of the Center for Global Sustainability at the University of Maryland, climate coordination has helped foster cooperation between U.S. and Chinese organizations.

`The United States and China working together is an important aspect of addressing climate change. That could motivate other countries to do more,` Mr. Hultman said.

According to Hultman, the broader relationship between the US and China is complex, but both countries understand climate change is not just a bilateral issue, but has a global dimension to it.

Mr. Hultman added that Cop 27 will not be successful if the US and China do not narrow their differences.