时代周刊:国际社会刚准备好直面气候问题 2020就来了(7)（在线收听）

Upcoming decisions in both of those countries,

形势迫在眉睫，

which combined are responsible for nearly half of global emissions, are urgent.

总排放量足足占到了全球排放量的一半左右的中美两国也急需做出各自的决定。

China is being pulled in two directions as it develops a plan that will set the course of its development—

此时的中国堪称左右为难，因为该国即将制定的计划事关其未来5年的发展路线，

and, by extension, its emissions—for the next half decade.

引申开来也会事关其未来五年的排放路线。

In March, as China's coronavirus epidemic began to subside, the nation's powerful Politburo Standing Committee,

今年3月，随着新冠疫情逐渐在该国消退，该国政治局常委，

which is made up of senior leaders of the Communist Party, including President Xi Jinping,

由国家主席习近平在内的共产党高级领导人组成，

endorsed a proposal to expedite $1.4 trillion in spending on so-called "new infrastructure"

批准了一项加快1.4万亿美元的所谓“新基建”支出的提案，

that includes electric-vehicle charging stations and high-speed rail, as well as 5G technology,

该项目包括建设电动汽车充电站，高铁，5G技术

which wouldn't cut emissions per se but would help advance the country's tech sector rather than its heavy industry,

这一项目本身并不能有助于减少排放，但却能推动该国科技行业而非重工业的发展，

stimulating economic growth with lower emissions.

以较低的排放为前提实现刺激经济增长的目标。

But the degree of commitment to those green recovery measures remains unclear.

不过，该国究竟能否将这些绿色复苏举措坚持到底尚不明了。

The Politburo Standing Committee's push is unfunded, leaving provincial governments to follow through.

政治局常委的号召所需的资金尚且没有着落，具体执行还要看各地省政府。

So far, the evidence on the ground has not been encouraging.

现实证据表明情况并不太乐观。

External pressure is likely to force the issue, and the E.U. is trying to offer just that.

外部压力或将迫使该国立即表态，欧盟也正在为之努力。

To push China and others along, the bloc is crafting a new tax on imports from countries that aren't reducing emissions.

为了推动中国和其他国家加入绿色复苏队伍，欧盟已经开始起草新规，对减排队伍之外的其他国家征收新的进口税。

Climate and trade are both currently being discussed by officials behind the scenes

有关官员正在秘密讨论气候及贸易问题，

and were planned to be on the top of the agenda at a now postponed September summit between the E.U. and China.

原本计划于9月召开，现已推迟的欧盟中国峰会也将上述两大问题提上了首要议程。

"Europe is a very important market for the Chinese," says Laurence Tubiana,

“对中国人而言，欧洲是一个非常重要的市场，”劳伦斯·图比亚纳说。

the CEO of the European Climate Foundation and a key architect of the Paris Agreement.

此人是欧洲气候基金会的首席执行官，也是《巴黎协定》的主要设计师。

"China can be secured in its potential exports to Europe

“中国对欧洲的出口机会是有保障的，

by understanding that it can secure positive trade relations by increasing its climate ambition."

前提是要明白中国可以通过上调气候目标稳固与欧洲的积极贸易关系。”

Still, when it comes to turning the climate ship around,

尽管如此，涉及让气候大船掉头的问题时，

there's no substitute for the U.S., and the country has already missed opportunities.

没有哪个国家能跟美国一个量级，问题是，该国已经错失了机会。

For example, before doling out bailout money,

例子之一就是，

France demanded that Air France stop operating emissions-intensive short routes,

法国在发放救助金之前就先对法国航空提出了停飞排放密集型的短途航线的要求，

and Austria forced Austrian Airlines to agree to cut its emissions 30% by 2030.

奥地利也强行让奥地利航空公司同意在2030年之前将排放量减少30%。

Contrast that with the U.S, where the government decreed that to receive federal dollars,

相比之下，美国政府下发的命令是，美国的航空公司要想获取联邦资金，

airlines could not drop any of their destinations— even if that meant flying planes empty—

就不能取消任何目的地——即便空飞也不能取消——

and Congress rejected an attempt from several Democratic Senators to attach green strings to the airline bailout.

不仅如此，几位民主党参议院试图在航空公司救助计划中增加绿色要求的尝试也遭到了国会的拒绝。