On November 12, 2014, President Obama made a landmark bilateral agreement with China to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The agreement calls for the US to cut carbon emission by 28 percent of the 2005 levels by 2025. In the meantime, China will stop increasing carbon emission by 2030. China will be getting 20 percent of its energy demand from renewables by 2030, where it stands at 10 percent today. Combined with other existing and required cut backs, the US will have to cut down its current emission level by 30 percent to meet the 2005 level goal. The US, China and the European union together generates more than half of the world’s annual CO2 emissions. The European Union separately has agreed to cut emission by 40 percent of its 1990 level by 2030.

Supporters and critics are abundant. Many points out that China is notorious for not abiding by its promises and here in the US, critics say the non-binding agreement is a political ploy getting ready for 2016 Presidential Election. Supporters also say that Chins is the biggest carbon polluter in the world and any deal with China is a move in the right direction to cut carbon emissions.