Special Representative Wang Yi of President Xi Jinping Attends and Addresses the Informal Leaders' Roundtable on Climate Action

On September 21, 2022 local time, President Xi Jinping's Special Representative, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended and addressed the Informal Leaders' Roundtable on Climate Action at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Wang Yi said, President Xi Jinping has explicitly noted that the earth is a big family and all mankind is a community. Climate change is a common challenge that requires cooperation. China holds that global climate governance goals should be promoted from four aspects.

First, focus on a successful UN Climate Change Conference in Sharm el Sheikh and achieve positive and balanced outcomes in mitigation, adaption, finance and other areas.

Second, attach importance to implementation action. We should uphold the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, stick to what has been agreed, and accelerate progress towards the temperature goal of the Paris Agreement. China supports the Global Early Warning Initiative launched by Secretary-General António Guterres. Developed countries should earnestly honor their commitments and provide financial, technological and capacity-building support for developing countries.

Third, advance green transformation in a practical manner. We should phase out traditional energy based on the safe and reliable substitution of new energy, and advance high-quality and just transformation within the framework of sustainable development.

Fourth, create a favorable political environment. We should abandon unilateralism, geopolitical games and green barriers. Developed countries should achieve carbon neutrality quite ahead of schedule, make the development room for developing countries, and take concrete actions to rebuild North-South mutual trust.

Wang Yi briefed on a series of active measures taken by China to unswervingly pursue green and low-carbon development that prioritizes environmental protection. He said that China has announced its goals for reaching peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality, and will achieve the largest reduction in global carbon intensity in the shortest time in world history. China has delivered on its 2020 climate action target ahead of schedule and announced new NDC targets, to steadily adjust the energy structure and strictly control carbon dioxide emissions. China has established the world's largest carbon market covering greenhouse gas emissions. China has also carried out extensive South-South cooperation on tackling climate change, implemented the Global Development Initiative, and worked with other parties to build a green Silk Road.

Wang Yi stressed, China will shoulder its due international responsibilities and create a new miracle of green transformation. We are ready to work with other countries to do more practical things and support the United Nations in playing its core role, so as to jointly protect the earth and create a better world for future generations.

On the same day, Wang Yi also met with the Prime Minister of Georgia, the French President's Diplomatic Advisor, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy as well as foreign ministers of Russia, Norway, Hungary, Poland, and Somalia, among others.