All countries must take concrete actions to stop and reverse global warming: China Daily editorial

The fact that the UN climate change conference, known as COP25, is still yet to finish, two days after its scheduled closing date, shows how hard it is for all countries to look beyond their own immediate interests for a pragmatic action plan to save the world from the fatal threat of extreme weather conditions.

There is no time left for the international community to turn a blind eye and deaf ear to the warnings by scientists about the havoc climate change will wreak.

The continuous rise in global temperatures in the past decades, which has resulted in the much higher frequency of extreme weather events around the world, should be enough for the international community to be convinced about how urgent it is for all countries to take immediate action.

The whole world is waiting, hoping that the negotiations in Madrid will deliver a feasible solution, by which all countries, big or small, rich or poor, do whatever they can to cut greenhouse emissions in a concrete manner to implement the Paris agreement to the letter.

However, it is likely that the world will be disappointed again. Whether poor countries will be supported both in funds and technology by developed countries is still a hard nut to crack. What they view as intransigence on the part of some richer nations remains to be overcome. And the call by the European Union and a coalition of developing countries for others to come forward with more ambitious plans to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions will be hard to materialize.

Research published during the talks found that emissions have risen by 4 percent since the Paris agreement was signed in 2015, and cuts of more than 7 percent a year will be needed in the next decade to avoid dangerous levels of heating.

Whatever the result of the negotiations from this conference, China will continue to attach importance to whatever it can do to cut carbon emissions. Its annual report on policies and actions to address climate change published by the end of November shows that its carbon dioxide emissions per 10,000 yuan ($1,420) of GDP decreased 45.8 percent since 2005, which is equivalent to a reduction of 5.26 billion tons. It means that China has realized its 2020 target of reducing carbon emissions ahead of schedule.

China has raised the share of non-fossil fuels in its energy mix to 14.3 percent, on track to meet its target for 2020. The volume of its forest stock volume rose by 1.7 billion cubic meters, which is more than four times its 2020 target.

With concrete actions, China is demonstrating its determination to fight against climate change.