The world today is faced with a raging COVID-19 pandemic, rising protectionism and unilateralism, as well as severe challenges in climate change.
On December 12 this year, the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Paris Agreement, the United Nations and relevant countries initiated the Climate Ambition Summit, which aims to further mobilise the international community to intensify its action to tackle climate change and advance the multilateral process.
Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the summit via video link and delivered a speech.
President Xi elaborated on China’s vision for global climate governance and announced four new measures to scale up China’s nationally determined contributions.
By 2030, China will lower its carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by over 65 per cent from the 2005 level. It will increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 25 per cent. It will increase the forest stock volume by six billion cubic metres from the 2005 level and also bring its total installed capacity of wind and solar power to over 1.2 billion kilowatts.
This is another major policy announcement after President Xi pledged, at the General Debate of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly held in September, that China will peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.
It charts the course for the peaking of CO₂ emissions and demonstrates China’s firm resolution in addressing climate change and responsibility in honouring its commitments.
China is a solid contributor to the improvement of global climate governance. Although still a developing country, with its per capita GDP just over US$10,000, China has exceeded the 2020 climate action target ahead of schedule.
China is the country that invests the most in renewable energy and owns more than half of the world’s new energy vehicles.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the world has become more aware of the necessity and urgency of harmonious coexistence between man and nature- Wang Zhaofeng
Since 2000, China has also accounted for a quarter of the world’s new green leaf area.
Looking ahead, the pace of development of China’s ecological civilisation will only continue to accelerate.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the world has become more aware of the necessity and urgency of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. It is the common task and top priority of the international community to ensure full and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement and jointly realise green economic recovery.
We are pleased to see that, under the advocacy of China, the EU, the UN and other parties, the international community has formed a positive synergy in jointly addressing climate change and accelerating global climate governance.
At the Climate Ambition Summit, over 20 countries put forward their goals for carbon neutrality and more than 40 countries made new commitments to scale up nationally determined contributions.
Malta has also identified environmental protection and sustainable development as one of the pillars of future economic development.
China and Malta have conducted sound cooperation in new energy development, which has yielded tangible results and great potential for future cooperation.
In the age of globalisation, the world is a community with a shared future. China stands ready to work with other countries to advance the sustained and steady implementation of the Paris Agreement and set the global response to climate change on a new journey.
Wang Zhaofeng is chargé d’affairs of the Chinese Embassy.