Advancing Both Climate Action and Justice in Asia

Asian people in and around China today confront two troubling trends—rising temperatures in a warming world, and mounting attacks by Beijing’s government against their human rights, civil freedoms, and political autonomy. Yet while Washington and Beijing both recognize the need for greater climate action, this narrow consensus breaks down upon the incorporation of equity and justice criteria into discussions of climate progress.

How do tensions between the US and China’s governments over human rights, Taiwan's future, trade, and other issues intersect with the imperative that both Beijing and Washington must act decisively to reduce emissions? Amidst difficult disagreements, could Washington leverage competitive pressure to encourage bold, mutual climate ambition?

This panel will explore Asian perspectives on what an effective and just US foreign policy and climate policy approach towards Beijing and Asia might look like moving forwards.

Featuring:
Seaver Wang, Breakthrough Institute

Tobita Chow, Justice is Global

John Chung-En Liu, National Taiwan University

Yaqiu Wang, Human Rights Watch (Moderator)