Contributing China's Wisdom and Strength to Global Climate Governance (People's Daily)
The 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is being held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With the theme of "Solidarity, Action, Implementation", the conference will complete the first global stocktaking of the Paris Agreement, and participants are looking forward to making progress on a number of important issues.
As an important participant, contributor and leader in the construction of global ecological civilization, China's concept and achievements in ecological civilization construction have attracted much attention. Participants interviewed by this reporter said that they expect China to continue to play a leading role and work with all parties to contribute wisdom and strength to the construction of a fair, reasonable, and win-win global climate governance system.
There is an urgent need to step up climate action
The UNFCCC secretariat noted that the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai, which took place in the hottest year on record, was a decisive moment for meeting climate commitments and preventing the worst impacts of climate change. Speaking at the opening ceremony, the President of the General Assembly, UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change, Sultan Jaber, said the world was at a critical juncture. Science has shown that there is an urgent need to forge a new path, "one wide enough to accommodate us all".
Simon Steele, Executive Secretary of the Convention Secretariat, called on Parties to submit more ambitious national climate action plans through a global stocktake of progress and gaps in the implementation of key provisions of the Paris Agreement.
The Paris Agreement, reached in 2015, calls for strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change by limiting the increase in global average temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and working towards limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. According to the latest report of the Convention Secretariat, countries' climate action plans are not meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement. The latest report released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) states that 2023 has broken a number of climate records, and the world is warming at an unprecedented rate.
The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Sharm el-Sheikh adopted a resolution establishing a loss and damage fund. Developed countries have the responsibility and obligation to contribute funds, and the beneficiaries are developing countries. On the opening day of the conference, all parties agreed on the launch of the Loss and Damage Fund. The United Arab Emirates and Germany each pledged US$100 million to the Loss and Damage Fund, with the United Kingdom, Japan and the United States also making commitments.
On 1 December, more than 130 countries signed a declaration on food, agriculture and climate action, which aims to address global greenhouse gas emissions while protecting the lives and livelihoods of farmers in the regions most affected by climate change.
On December 2, China and the United States and the United Arab Emirates held the "Methane and Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gas Summit", where China's Special Envoy for Climate Change Xie Zhenhua and U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry discussed the implementation of the Sunshine Country Statement on Strengthening Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis, methane emission control, international cooperation and other important issues.
China's achievements in the construction of ecological civilization have attracted much attention
The conference was held in Dubai Expo City, and the venue was divided into blue zone and green zone. Blue zones are used for meetings of delegates of various countries for consultations and informal consultations. The Green Zone is open to the public and provides a platform for different groups to display and communicate.
On November 30, the "China Corner" of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai, located in the Blue Zone, was opened. Walking into the "China Corner", the climate action cartoon exhibition with the theme of "low carbon", the ecological green energy demonstration sand table from green electricity to chemical production, and the new energy vehicle model attracted many visitors. During the conference, the "China Corner" will hold 9 side event theme days. Chinese government agencies, research institutions, industry associations, enterprises and non-governmental organizations will hold more than 100 activities on China's climate change policy actions, international cooperation on climate change, green and low-carbon development, synergy in pollution and carbon reduction, just transition and sustainable development, energy transition, digital development, green finance, etc.
"China has made great achievements in the construction of ecological civilization. Eric Solheim, former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and senior adviser to the World Resources Institute, said that he had visited many regions in China and seen the improvement of the environment and the people's sense of gain and happiness.
Environmental Defense Fund President Ke Ruihua said that the Environmental Defense Fund has cooperated with relevant Chinese departments for more than 20 years and witnessed China's development achievements in environmental protection, carbon emission trading markets, and community green spaces. "The United States and China have broad common interests in the area of climate change. We look forward to the joint efforts of all countries in the world to build a better future. ”
On December 3, the "China Corner" held side events such as "Digital Empowerment of Ecological Civilization - Strengthening Public Participation in Climate Action", "Climate Change Education and Youth Practice for Global Sustainable Development", and "Glacier Memory: Witnessing the Climate Crisis". Ali, director of the National Space Science and Technology Centre at UAE University, said that the impact of climate change is global and requires the unity of different regions and groups around the world.
Build a clean and beautiful world together
During the conference, more than 600 activities will be held in the green zone of the venue under 10 themes.
The China-Arab States Economic and Trade Exchange Center (formerly the China Pavilion at the Dubai World Expo) will hold more than 30 exchange activities. On December 1, the Publicity and Education Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and Chinanews.com co-hosted the "Dialogue on Sustainable Development of Well-known Chinese and Foreign Entrepreneurs". In his keynote speech, President and CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, David Bedkai, spoke highly of China's contributions to sustainable development and accelerating the realization of carbon neutrality in recent years, and called on business enterprises from all countries to strengthen dialogue and jointly contribute to the low-carbon transition.
In the dialogue session, representatives of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, Baker Hughes of the United States, CMPC Group of Chile and other Chinese and foreign enterprises had in-depth exchanges on two topics: "The Impact of Global Carbon Neutrality on Enterprises and Their Countermeasures" and "Technology and Management Innovation of Corporate Carbon Neutrality".
On December 1, at the "Forum on Accelerating Green and Low-Carbon Transition" hosted by the United Arab Emirates, Tencent and Masdar City in the United Arab Emirates jointly launched the "Global Low-Carbon Innovation Alliance", with more than 30 institutions and enterprises including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, McKinsey and Siemens joining. At the forum, Tencent released the international version of the low-carbon technology innovation community "CarbonLive" as the official support platform of the "Global Low-Carbon Innovation Alliance". Steve Severance, Chief Innovation Officer at Masdar City, said: "We are delighted to witness and drive the launch of the Global Low Carbon Innovation Coalition. The Low-Carbon Technology Innovation Community will help partners from different sectors to strengthen ties and promote win-win results. Xu Hao, head of Tencent's Carbon Neutrality Lab, said that he hopes to promote deeper communication and collaboration among stakeholders in the low-carbon field and help China's low-carbon innovative enterprises better go overseas.
联合国政府间气候变化专门委员会前副主席莫汉·穆纳辛格表示，中国式现代化走的是一条绿色发展之路。中国作为发展中国家，为推动生态文明建设付出了艰苦努力，取得了巨大成就。中国提出共建绿色“一带一路”，倡导Build a clean and beautiful world together，彰显中国在全球气候治理和共同发展方面发挥的重要作用。“中国正在成为可持续发展的引领者。”
Xie Zhenhua said that as a responsible major developing country, China has always adhered to the strategic focus on climate action. China's economic and social development has embarked on a comprehensive green transformation track. China will continue to take practical actions and South-South and North-South cooperation measures to make greater contributions to addressing the global climate crisis, achieving sustainable development and building a clean and beautiful world.
