US receives stinging criticism at Cop27 despite China’s growing emissions

The country is highlighting China's status as top polluter after being called out for climate inaction

The US, fresh from reversing its 30 years of opposition to a loss and damage" fund for poorer countries suffering the worst impacts of the climate crisis, has signaled that its longstanding image as global climate villain should now be pinned on a new culprit: China.

Following years of tumult in which the US refused to provide anything resembling compensation for climate damages, followed by Donald Trump's removal of the US from the Paris climate agreement, there was a profound shift at the Cop27 UN talks in Egypt, with Joe Biden's administration agreeing to the new loss and damage fund.