Senator Wirth Calls U.S.-China Carbon Agreement “Ambitious Commitment”

Timothy E. Wirth, former Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs under President Bill Clinton, and Vice Chair of the United Nations Foundation, made the following statement about the announcement made in Beijing of a U.S.-China agreement between the two nations – the two largest emitters in the world – on reductions in carbon emissions:

Today’s announcement that the United States and China have set new targets for reducing carbon emissions is the political breakthrough we’ve been waiting for, and the leaders of both countries are to be congratulated. This is the most important climate relationship in the world. If the two biggest players on climate are able to get together, from two very different perspectives, the rest of the world can see that it’s possible to make real progress. This is an ambitious commitment to a long-range strategy and a framework for further action.

Wirth represented Colorado in the U.S. House and Senate from 1975 to 1992. He was the Founding President of the UN Foundation, a role in which he served from 1998 to 2013.