Experts hail China's efforts in combating climate change

China's efforts in combating climate change have been highly appreciated by experts and officials from different nations and international organizations, as they call on global stakeholders to develop paths to ambitious agreements and actions at the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference, or COP28.

The 28th session of the Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC, or COP28, will be held in Dubai from Nov 30 to Dec 12.

"We know that China is highly committed to climate change action," said Rafael Dezcallar, Spanish ambassador to China. "We have a lot to learn from China on the development of renewable energies and on many other issues. We want to work together with China."

He made the remarks on Tuesday at a seminar on the theme "Building momentum toward COP28", co-organized by the United Nations in China and the embassy of Spain. The seminar was attended by experts, senior diplomats and officials from different countries, in which they lauded China's leading role in the development of clean energy infrastructure.

"China has made important strides in committing to a low-carbon future. China is already a global leader in renewable energies, accounting for roughly 30 percent of installed total capacity worldwide," said Beate Trankmann, resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme in China.

According to Trankmann, last year, China had added an additional 0.125 gigawatts of renewable energy, which is twice the added capacity in the European Union, and eight times the added capacity in the US during the same period. Nonfossil fuel sources now account for more than half of China's total energy generation capacity, which means China reached this target two years ahead of its schedule.

Citing Kubuqi desert as an example of green transition, Siddharth Chatterjee, UN resident coordinator in China, commended the actions and innovations China has taken to transform "its climate ecosystem".

"Kubuqi is a model of the success of the fight against desertification. In fact, this seventh-largest desert has been turned into an agricultural paradise. It produces 3.2 gigawatts of electricity from renewable sources, solar and wind. It sells about 80 percent of its excess power into the national grid for which it makes about $0.5 billion annually," he said.

"So quite clearly, the whole issue of climate and the just transition that we are talking about is absolutely essential to this," he said. "As we approach COP28, we will need another Paris moment which we are missing. We will need a proper agreement."

China expects the COP28 to adhere to the goals, principles, and institutional framework of the Convention and the Paris Agreement, which is essential for uniting all countries and ensuring that global climate governance is on the right track, said Sun Zhen, counsel, climate change department, Ministry of Ecology and the Environment.

The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, which acknowledges the different capabilities and differing responsibilities of developing and developed countries in addressing climate change, is the foundation of global political cooperation, he emphasized.

"COP28 will indeed be a crucial meeting. It will be important to have all countries on board to build the necessary alliances that bring out ambitious consensus," said Valvanera Ulargui, director-general of the Spanish Climate Change Office, Ministry of Ecological Transition, adding that it's time to "stop finger-pointing and start working on international cooperation".

yangran1@chinadaily.com.cn