US auto industry confronts climate change as countries sign Paris Treaty

Global Business

Next week at the United Nations in New York City, over 100 countries have pledged to sign and implement the Paris Treaty.

But it’s just not countries – governments and policy makers that are dealing with the issue of climate change.

The U.S. auto industry is one industry that is set to experience changes and that means more fuel efficient cars potentially hitting U.S. roads.

CCTV America’s Shraysi Tandon reports.

Both the U.S. and China have pledged to sign the Paris Climate Agreement later this month. While encouraging other countries to sign, the U.S. is having trouble with its own state governments. More than half of all U.S. states are balking at the standards necessary to meet the climate change targets set in Paris.

U.S. intentions could hardly be better.

“We are focusing on making sure the Paris agreement is fully implemented and we are working to double our investments in clean energy research and development,” U.S. President Barack Obama said.

The question is whether America’s coal and oil-producing states will back those efforts. Many power plants burn fossil fuels as do cars. The tradeoff could be painful – ‘Rust Belt’ jobs for cleaner air.

The Obama administration wants “cars and light duty trucks” to average 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. The White House says that “will nearly double the fuel efficiency of new vehicles” currently on U.S. roads.


World Bank Director of Climate Change John Roome on Climate Change in China

Around 130 countries have agreed to sign the Paris Climate Agreement, including India, the United States and China. China is interesting because it the world’s largest energy consumer – the country is also the biggest investor in renewables and the one of the world’s worst polluters. So can China, with all its dichotomies, be able to curb emissions?

CCTV America’s Shraysi Tandon spoke to John Roome, the senior director for Climate Change for the World Bank.