By He Yin, People’s Daily
On Sept. 24, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered video remarks at the United Nations Climate Summit held in New York, putting forward three proposals on advancing global climate governance to firm up confidence, live up to responsibilities, and deepen cooperation. He also announced China’s new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
At this critical juncture in global climate governance, China’s vision and solutions exemplify the role of a responsible major country and significantly boost international confidence in advancing the climate agenda.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, a pivotal year for countries to submit their new NDCs. At this important moment, China is determined to be a contributor to and doer in advancing global climate governance.
In his remarks, Xi announced to the world that China will, by 2035, reduce economy-wide net greenhouse gas emissions by 7 to 10 percent from peak levels, striving to do better; increase the share of non-fossil fuels in total energy consumption to over 30 percent; expand the installed capacity of wind and solar power to over six times the 2020 levels, striving to bring the total to 3,600 gigawatts; scale up the total forest stock volume to over 24 billion cubic meters; make new energy vehicles the mainstream in the sales of new vehicles; expand the National Carbon Emissions Trading Market to cover major high-emission sectors; and basically establish a climate adaptive society.
These targets and measures represent China’s maximum efforts in setting goals consistent with the requirements of the Paris Agreement. They have quickly drawn international attention and broad commentary. Many observers regard the commitments as a landmark step and expect China to sustain momentum on climate action. Some argue that the move has reinvigorated global confidence in emissions reduction, and China’s clean energy boom will reshape the global economy.
Overall, analysts believe that China is accelerating its green transition, has the capacity to meet its goals, and is injecting renewed confidence into global climate governance.
Climate change is a shared challenge to the common interests of all humanity. Effective response requires collective wisdom, mobilized resources, and concrete global action.
To advance global climate governance, the world must firm up confidence. Green and low-carbon transition is the trend of the times. From Eurasia to the Americas, from the African highlands to the Pacific island countries, a broad international consensus has formed around pursuing sustainable development and tackling climate change together.
Green transition is both the only path to address climate change and a new driver of economic and social development. Looking ahead, the international community should stay focused on the right direction, remain unwavering in confidence, unremitting in actions and unrelenting in intensity, and push for formulation and delivery on NDCs, with a view to providing more positive energy to the cooperation on global climate governance.
To advance global climate governance, the world must live up to responsibilities. There is only one Earth for humanity. Protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development is a shared responsibility of all countries.
At present, achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement is challenged by insufficient implementation of NDCs, funding shortfalls, and delays in technology and capacity building. Fairness and equity should be upheld and the right to development of developing countries fully respected. The global green transition should serve to narrow rather than widen the North-South gap. Countries need to honor the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, whereby developed countries should take the lead in fulfilling emission reduction obligations and provide more financial and technological support to developing countries.
To advance global climate governance, the world must deepen cooperation. The world today faces not only deficits in development and in green transition, but also deficits in trust and in governance. To overcome these deficits, countries must join hands to deepen cooperation, pool strengths for green development, and address the challenges of climate governance, instead of creating obstacles in green development and cooperation.
The world now faces a huge demand for green development. It is important that countries strengthen international coordination in green technologies and industries to address the shortfall in green production capacity and ensure free flow of quality green products globally, so that the benefits of green development can reach all corners of the world.
Addressing climate change is both an urgent and a long-term task. The trend of green and low-carbon transition is irreversible. By firming up confidence, living up to responsibilities, and deepening cooperation, all parties can work together to realize the beautiful vision of harmony between humanity and nature and safeguard the shared planet.
China’s commitment bolsters global confidence in climate governance
