China’s Commitment to Meaningful Climate Action

The year 2023 stands as the hottest on record, marking a continuation of a sweltering trend that has witnessed an alarming surge in climate-related disasters.

At COP28 in Dubai, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell lamented the world’s sluggish pace in addressing climate change, warning, “We are taking baby steps” when we need giant leaps forward, and that our inaction is costing “people’s lives and livelihoods.”

Stiell urged COP28 attendees to rise to the challenge, calling on governments to “teach climate action to run.” This requires bolstering nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and ensuring they translate into concrete action, honoring financing pledges, and bridging the climate action funding gap.

China’s efforts in this regard have been widely recognized, and it is considered a crucial player in driving the necessary green transition. The country has made decisive and effective moves towards this end. By 2022, China’s carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP had dropped over 51 percent from 2005 levels. Moreover, the Chinese government has committed 20 billion yuan ($3.1 billion) in special funds to support South-South climate cooperation. Climate response is increasingly taking center stage in China’s modernization trajectory, replacing the past pursuit of rapid growth, and represents a key area for cooperation between China and developed nations.

In his COP28 address, Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang emphasized three critical steps for effectively addressing climate change: practicing multilateral cooperation, accelerating the green transition, and honoring existing commitments.

Guided by the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, Beijing has consistently urged developed countries to assist developing nations in their climate change responses. Simultaneously, despite being a developing country itself, China is fulfilling its responsibility as the world’s second-largest economy by providing climate assistance.

The COPs serve as the world’s sole multilateral decision-making forum on climate change. This year’s COP, with nearly universal participation, set a record for the largest COP gathering, reflecting the prevailing sense of urgency and the growing consensus that no country can escape the impacts of climate change.