Global leaders are meeting now in Glasgow in one of the world’s largest ever summits regarding the climate. It’s a rare opportunity for the U.S. and China to set aside their disputes and focus on a critical shared goal.

China and the United States recently issued a joint declaration on climate action, bringing hope for one of humanity’s most pressing problems and adding momentum to the global low-carbon transition.

The country’s self-sufficiency rate has stayed at around 80 percent, but as it transitions to lower carbon, issues affecting energy security are becoming more prominent. Underlying these are structural problems, starting with high dependence on overseas energy.

I don’t know if it’s by accident or design but the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, and the G-20 Summit that preceded it in Rome, were scheduled around Halloween and the Day of the Dead. Most governments seem afraid to face the existential challenge of climate change and are more spooked by an army of highly-paid lobbyists than by an infinitely more powerful Mother Nature. At the same time, however, promising innovations coming from NGOs and a core of socially responsible companies offer a slim glimmer of sunshine amidst the gloom.

The United States has begun to consolidate a Western consensus in many respects, but its competitive perspective on global issues will eventually cost it credibility and appeal in the field of climate governance.

Modern eco-civilization based on harmony between humanity and nature is the way of survival — the way for humankind to effectively cope with the climate crisis and achieve climate security in the 21st century.

The planet is heating up – and so are global geopolitics. With less than two months until the crucial United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, the United States and China must commit to cooperate on the existential challenge global warming represents. But bilateral relations remain burdened by mistrust, antagonism, and even warmongering.

The Group of Seven (G7) Leadership Summit held last June was stated to be an occasion for the Western leaders to “reestablish” the international order after the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also for the U.S. to demonstrate its return “back at the table”.

China and the United States should proceed from easier topics to more difficult ones, seeking new paradigms of interaction under new circumstances. Success in climate cooperation, if achieved, may serve as a demonstration of feasibility for other areas.

A Cornell University program centered on community-building and education is a case-study in U.S.-China cooperation.