Unlikely alliance: China and the U.S. want to take joint action against climate change

The United States and China, the world's two largest carbon dioxide emitters, have reached an agreement to increase cooperation in the fight against climate change. It includes cutting methane emissions, phasing out coal use and protecting forests, US climate envoy John Kerry and his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua announced at the UN Climate Change Conference in Scotland (COP26).

"Together we set out our support for a successful COP26, including certain elements which will promote ambition," Kerry said at the press conference on the agreement between Washington and Beijing. "Every step matters right now and we have a long journey ahead of us."

According to the plan, China wants to start phasing out coal and reduce its methane emissions in the five years from 2026 to 2030, Reuters reported.

With the agreement, the summit could produce the necessary results after all, even if the wording in the plan is vague and implementation is not assured. However, observers see the fact that the agreement was reached at all as a positive signal for the rest of the summit. "We're honest about the differences. We certainly know what they are and we've articulated them," Kerry also addressed the prevailing tensions between the US and China. "But that's not my lane here. My job is to be the climate guy and stay focused on trying to move the climate agenda forward."