Country to 'honor its word' on climate

China's special climate envoy Xie Zhenhua said that Beijing will "honor its word" and peak emissions before 2030, as he encouraged other nations to back up climate targets with detailed action plans.

Speaking to media at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties, or COP 26, in Glasgow on Tuesday, Xie said that China is already taking concrete action to achieve its ultimate aim to reach net zero emissions before 2060.

"We not only make promises, we honor our word," Xie said. "We have already released an action plan for peaking emissions."

In response to calls from some stakeholders for the Paris Agreement to change the global warming limit to 1.5 C－instead of its current range of 2 to 1.5 C－Xie said he did not support any plan which could jeopardize previous progress.

"If we are to only focus on 1.5 C, it means we are destroying this consensus between all parties," Xie said. "And maybe countries will demand a reopening of negotiations if we are to change the target to only 1.5 degrees, and that will be a long process."

Xie also called on developed nations to make good on the promise of $100 billion in annual climate financing for the developing world, a goal that was missed last year.

"Developed countries have largely failed to honor their commitment for climate finance, which has a negative impact on mutual trust between developed and developing countries."

At the World Leaders Summit at COP 26 on Monday, United States President Joe Biden expressed his regret that his predecessor, Donald Trump, had taken the US out of the Paris Agreement.

"I guess I shouldn't apologize, but I do apologize for the fact that the United States, in the last administration, pulled out of the Paris accord and put us sort of behind the eight ball," he said. "We will demonstrate to the world the United States is not only back at the table but, hopefully, leading by the power of our example."

Participants were eager to hear from India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his country entered the conference without an updated pledge on emissions' reductions.