The Paris Agreement and the EU-China Relations

Through the 2015 Paris Agreement not only developed countries (for instance, the Members of the EU), but also developing countries that account for a substantial share of the global carbon dioxide emissions (such as China and India), have pledged to reduce emissions in order to prevent irreversible climate change. The paper will analyze the impact that the agreement has on EU-China relations. Over the last decades, the European Union has taken a leadership role in fighting climate change through internal public policies and by advocating internationally for emission cuts and global commitments in this regard (such as the Paris Agreement). Although close trade partners, the EU and China were often in disagreement on issues related to human rights and global environmental protection. The success of the Paris Agreement is highly dependent on Chinese proper implementation and the EU has indicated through its climate diplomacy directed at China that it is aware of this. This paper argues that cooperation on climate change has the potential to bring Europe and China closer diplomatically. At the same time, the Agreement implementation process will open opportunities for EU-China trade in green goods and services (such as renewable energy and technology increasing energy efficiency). These will lead to enhanced global security and well-being of both Europeans and Chinese. In illustrating its claims, the paper relies on official documents and policy papers, as well as on interviews with European and Chinese officials working in the fields of climate diplomacy and energy policy.