WAEL BADRAN (DUBAI)
China holds in high regard the significant outcome achieved by COP28 on the Loss and Damage Fund that would help developing countries cope with the impacts caused by climate change, and highly appreciates the leadership of the UAE in leading and promoting this progress, said Zhao Yingmin, Head of the Chinese Delegation to COP28, and Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China.
In an interview with Aletihad, Zhao said that China will join all parties in supporting the UAE to fulfil its duties as COP Presidency, taking the opportunity of the Global Stocktake (GST) to guide the actions focusing on delivering promises and to enhance the means of implementation, aiming to build an international climate governance system which is equitable, reasonable, cooperative and mutual beneficial.
First Global Stocktake a Milestone
“COP28 will undertake the first Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement, a milestone for the current multilateral process of global climate governance when we face both opportunities and challenges. Substantial global progress has been made in realising the goals of the Paris Agreement. However, there is still a gap to achieve the goals, especially for developed countries to fulfil their emission reduction obligations and to provide financial, technological and capacity-building support for developing countries,” the Minister said.
“China will also fully honour its own commitments, promote the development of the Green Belt and Road Initiative, strengthen South-South Cooperation (SSC) on climate change, and continue its contribution to the global response to climate change,” he continued.
Solidarity and Cooperation
Providing insights into the outcomes of COP28, the Minister said that the global climate conference is an opportunity to guide all parties to a correct direction in global climate governance, and in this regard he put forward four proposals.
“First, we must uphold fundamental principles while breaking new ground to ensure full and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement. Second, we must deliver our commitments and focus on implementation with practical actions. Third, we must push for a just and green transition under the framework of sustainable development, and fourth, we must join hands based on solidarity and cooperation in rising up to climate challenges,” Zhao noted.
A Systematic Approach
The Minister also brought attention to China’s roadmap to carbon neutrality.
“On September 22, 2020, President Xi Jinping pledged at the General Debate of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly that China will strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060,” he said.
In particular, in the field of energy transition, given its basic national conditions featuring abundant coal and inadequate oil and gas, China will establish a new energy system before dismantling the old one, and take a systematic approach to green and low-carbon energy development, the Minister emphasised.
“China worked hard to promote clean and efficient utilisation of coal. It has completed renovation and retrofit of more than 250 million kilowatts of capacity through energy-saving and carbon-emission-reducing renovation of coal power units, flexibility retrofit, and heating system renovation. It has vigorously developed new energy. Since 2020, it has installed more than 100 million kilowatts of wind and solar power every year. As of the end of September this year, China’s wind and solar power installed capacity reached 920 million kilowatts, and its renewable energy installed capacity reached 1.384 billion kilowatts, which has exceeded the coal-fired power installed capacity for the first time in history, accounting for 49.6% of the world’s total installed capacity,” he added.
Commenting on China and the US’ pledge to work together to address climate change, the Minister said both countries jointly issued the Sunnylands Statement on Enhancing Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis on November 15, 2023, announcing the operationalisation of the Working Group on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s to promote bilateral practical cooperation.
Both sides reached a series of consensus on the key issues of COP28, including the GST, adaptation, finance, and loss and damage, and are committed to jointly making the conference a success, he said.
South-South Cooperation
The Minister also highlighted that China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment actively supports the “Early Warnings for All'' initiative proposed by the UN Secretary-General. China signed a tripartite cooperation agreement with the World Meteorological Organisation and China Meteorological Administration to help other developing countries enhance disaster warning capacity.
“As a responsible and major developing country, China has always been an active advocate and pragmatic practitioner of South-South cooperation in climate change. Echoing the ‘10-100-1000’ Initiative and the ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative proposed by President XI Jinping, China has been strengthening SSC to support the response to climate change in fellow developing countries, especially small island countries, least developed countries and African countries,” he said.