Former envoy pushes Sino-EU cooperation on climate change

China's former special climate envoy Xie Zhenhua has emphasized the broad consensus between China and the European Union on jointly addressing the climate crisis, saying China is ready to deepen cooperation with the EU on tackling climate change and promoting green transitions in developing countries.

He made the remarks on Thursday at an open forum of the 2025 Annual General Meeting of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development.

Xie said 2025 will be a year of significant challenges for global climate governance.

"Geopolitical conflicts have intensified, economic recovery remains sluggish, and factors such as trade protectionism and de-globalization have undermined mutual trust," he said. "The global multilateral governance process faces unprecedented uncertainty."

However, Xie said the climate challenge also brings new opportunities. The green transition, he noted, has proved to be not only essential for curbing global warming but also a strong driver of high-quality development and job creation, citing China's experience as an example.

In the first half of 2025, China's newly installed wind and solar power capacity doubled from the same period in 2024, and the additional electricity generated by the two sources exceeded the growth seen in the nation's total power consumption, he said.

From January to June, sales of new energy vehicles in China reached 6.94 million units, up more than 40 percent year-on-year, while exports hit 1.06 million units, an increase of 75.2 percent, according to Xie.

"This demonstrates that the green industry is not a burden on economic development, but a new engine capable of driving multiple goals, including energy security, economic growth and low-carbon transformation," he said.

He added that Chinese electric vehicle supply chain companies invested about $16 billion overseas in 2024, surpassing their domestic investment for the first time.

"This marks a shift in China's green industry from simply exporting products to establishing overseas manufacturing operations through investment," he said.

Amid both climate challenges and emerging opportunities, Xie said China has actively fostered joint China-EU leadership on climate action.

In July 2025, leaders of China and the EU issued a joint statement on climate change, which reaffirmed their commitment to advancing climate cooperation and supporting the multilateral climate process. Xie said the statement has boosted confidence in global climate governance.

Tackling climate change remains a key pillar of China-EU cooperation, he said, noting that despite differences in other areas, both sides share a strong consensus and willingness to work together.

Xie said China and the EU also seek closer collaboration among enterprises, local governments and think tanks, and aim to jointly support green transitions in developing countries.

"We are willing to collaborate with the EU on our 'new trio' sectors (electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic products) either by investing and cooperating within the EU or by working together in Africa and other developing regions," he added.

"We hope to partner with local entities in various countries to create jobs, strengthen green economies and achieve shared green prosperity."

houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn