LONDON — A joint declaration between the United States and China, in which the two superpowers said they would work together on a number of climate-related actions, has taken many by surprise.

The declaration was made Wednesday at the COP26 Climate Change Summit in Glasgow, Scotland. It covers a range of topics, including cutting carbon dioxide emissions and tackling illegal forest destruction.

According to the declaration, “The sides intend to seize the critical moment to collaborate in increased individual and joint efforts to accelerate a transition to a worldwide net zero economy.”

A working group was also established to “regularly address climate crises and promote multilateral negotiations, with a focus on encouraging concrete actions during this decade.”

A wide range of stakeholders have welcomed the U.S.-China plan to collaborate.

Genevieve Maricle (director of U.S. Climate Policy Action at the World Wildlife Fund) stated in a statement that “the unexpected and welcomed joint declaration between China and the United States represents an important commitment among the two world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gasses,”

Maricle declared, “They are the two biggest economies in the world and they are no less pertinent in the context this agreement.”

They can unlock huge financial flows from both the private and public sectors, which will accelerate the transition to low-carbon economies.

Manish Bapna is the president and CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council. He said that it was “good news” that China and the United States had agreed to speed up climate action in the decisive decade.

Bapna declared that “the pledge to strengthen cooperation in clean energies, methane, deforestation and from the two biggest economies and emitters of greenhouse gases is a welcome move forward.”

But if we want to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius we need urgently to see our cooperation commitments translate into stronger climate targets, credible delivery and bolder goals.

Elsewhere, the U.N. Secretary General, António Guterres, said via TwitterHe welcomed the agreement between the U.S. and China.

Guterres stated that “Tackling climate crisis requires international cooperation and solidarity. This is an important step towards the right direction.”

In another tweetFrans Timmermans is the executive vice-president of the European Commission for the European Green Deal. He said that the U.S. had reached “common ground in climate issues” with China.

He said, “This is an issue that transcends politics.” “Bilateral cooperation should increase negotiations at #COP26. The global deal to keep 1.5 degrees in the air must now be reached.

Referring to 1.5 degree is a reference to the Paris Agreement which dominates discussions at Glasgow.

The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international agreement on climate change. It was described by the United Nations to be “limiting global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius (preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius)” compared to preindustrial levels.

This is an enormous task. According to the United Nations, 1.5°C is the upper limit for mitigating the most severe consequences of climate change.

Jennifer Morgan (executive director at Greenpeace International) was one of the others to react to this declaration. Morgan declared that the declaration was always welcome news, as it shows how two major emitters of greenhouse gases cooperate in climate change issues. A re-evaluation is needed to resolve their differences on this important issue.

She stated, “They acknowledge that the 1.5C target is the core of any credible climate program and frame 2020s as the decade in which we must see concrete action.” These are the things that matter most, and especially for these two countries.

Morgan said that China and the U.S. did not respond to “climate sensitive countries”, which were calling for nations to return each year to the table “with greater ambition” until the 1.5C gap was closed.

“So it is good to have these two around the table, but this reset must turn into an actual breakthrough that builds confidence across the globe. They need to increase their ambitions and be more committed to implementation.”

Morgan suggested that the talks should begin in Glasgow. Morgan also said that every country should make use of the final two days of the talks to achieve the global deal it needs.

Between Oct. 31 & Nov. 12, the U.K. will host COP26.