Analysis | China Trade Fights Will Undermine Europe's Climate ... - The Washington Post
Net Zero: China Trade Spats Threaten EU's Climate Goals - Bloomberg
China Trade Fights Will Undermine Europe’s Climate Ambitions
If Brussels wants to assist the slice of China’s economy pushing toward net zero, it needs to show it’s a trustworthy ally.
Protectionist candy. Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg
Politicians campaigning for elections often treat blunt protectionism like candy. The immediate sugar high is hard to beat, but in the long term it’s worse for you than the indigestible fiber of sound trade policy. The European Union seems to be following that approach in its relations with its largest goods trading partner. 1
Brussels announced an investigation into Chinese subsidies for electric vehicles in September, and this month mooted a further probe into wind-power equipment. Solar power, which escaped a contentious anti-dumping investigation a decade ago, could be next: Two German regions have pushed the EU to ban some Chinese panels as a slump in prices put pressure on the remnants of Europe’s photovoltaic manufacturing sector.
Related Knowledge Center: Climate diplomacy
Talks are well underway in preparation for the next major international meeting on climate change, 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), scheduled to begin Nov. 30 in the United Arab Emirates.
Much like last year’s COP27, finances — specifically, aid to developing nations — will be at the center of conference deliberations.
The conference faces an even greater sense of urgency brought on by the Sept. 8, 2023, release of the first global stocktake, which calls for accelerated action to meet the goals set in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement (COP21).
Climate diplomacy: COP 27 | Climate diplomacy: COP 28 | Climate diplomacy: COP 29