China and the US have begun an ambitious new phase of talks on curbing their carbon dioxide emissions that observers say is the most promising development in nearly 20 years of global climate change negotiations.
A lack of co-ordination between the two superpowers, whose combined emissions nearly match the rest of the world’s put together, has helped torpedo previous rounds of international climate talks, including the Copenhagen summit of 2009.
But the pair have recently begun detailed discussions about the sensitive issue of their respective carbon-cutting goals as world leaders try to seal a global climate deal in Paris next year that will hinge on a US-Chinese agreement.