Top US diplomat says China needs more ambitious climate goal

BEIJING (AP) — The top U.S. diplomat in China says the countries had a very good year for collaboration on dealing with climate change, but Washington is still pushing Beijing to adopt more ambitious carbon reduction goals. David Meale, the American Embassy’s No. 2 official, said what China does on burning coal will be crucial to whether the world can meet its target of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 2.7 Fahrenheit, by the end of the century, as set by the 2015 Paris climate accord. China, the world’s largest energy consumer, produces and consumes more coal than any other country and is the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide. So far, however, China has shown no intention of moving up its targets for carbon reduction.