By Stephen Asante
GNA Special Correspondent, Beijing, China
Beijing (China), April 24, GNA – The People’s Republic of China will remain steadfast in promoting global green development, President Xi Jinping has assured.
“However, the world may change, China will not slow down its climate actions,” he stated while addressing a virtual summit for global leaders on Climate and the Just Transition.
The President said since announcing the country’s goals for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality some five years ago, the Asian giant had built the world’s largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system as well as the largest and most complete new energy industrial chain.
“China also leads the world in the speed and scale of greening, contributing a quarter of the world’s newly added area of afforestation,” he added.
The summit comes ahead of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP 30), which will be hosted in November 2025, in Brazil.
It sought to accelerate global climate ambition in the run up to the Conference, strengthen global action under the Paris Agreement, and build momentum for stronger national climate plans to be announced this year.
President Xi said harmony between man and nature had been a defining feature of Chinese modernisation, and that, the authorities would, therefore, not reduce the country’s support for international cooperation on climate-resilient actions.
“With the future of humanity and the wellbeing of our people in mind, let us earnestly honour the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, do our utmost respectively and collectively, and build a clean, beautiful, and sustainable world together.
“As long as we enhance confidence, solidarity and cooperation, we will overcome the headwinds and steadily move forward global climate governance and all progressive endeavours of the world,” he emphasised.
The Chinese President’s address encompassed a four-point agenda, ranging from adherence to multilateralism, deepening international cooperation, accelerating the just transition, and strengthening results-oriented actions.
He said it was imperative that global leaders upheld the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Paris Agreement, which represented the legal cornerstone of international climate cooperation.
“It is important for all countries to champion the rule of law, honour commitments, prioritise green and low-carbon development, and jointly respond to the climate crisis through multilateral governance.
“Instead of talking the talk, we must walk the walk. We must turn our goals into tangible results through systematic policies and concrete measures.
“All parties should do their utmost to formulate and implement their programmes of action for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) while coordinating economic development and energy transition,” the President advised.
He indicated that China would announce its 2035 NDCs, covering all economic sectors and greenhouse gases before the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Belém.
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