China sees a leading role on climate

China can play a constructive or even a leading role in world climate governance, a senior government adviser said.

Coping with global climate change in a concerted effort has been a trend worldwide, though the new US approach derived from its "America First" stance could increase uncertainties and possibly set back the cause, He Jiankun, deputy president of China's National Expert Committee on Climate Change, said on Monday in Beijing.

US President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order on Tuesday rolling back former President Barack Obama's policies to curb greenhouse gas emissions, according to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.

"Whatever Trump's attitude is, or whatever a certain country will do, the global trend of countering climate change would not be reversed," He said at Opportunities and Challenges of Global Climate Governance in New Age, a discussion hosted by the Brookings-Tsinghua Center and World Wild Fund for Nature in Beijing.

His remarks echoed those by Liu Jieyi, Chinese ambassador to the UN, at a General Assembly high-level climate change meeting at the UN headquarters in New York last Thursday. Liu said the vision of global green and low-carbon development envisaged by the Paris Agreement corresponds with China's strategic choice of building an ecological civilization.

"Whatever the vicissitudes of the international situation, China will remain committed to its development concepts of innovation, coordination, green, openness and sharing and actively respond to climate change," Liu said.

US policies are expected to compound implementation of the 2015 Paris pact, particularly nationally determined contributions (NDCs), and the funding and transfer of relevant high technology, He said.

The US said it intended to achieve a reduction in emissions by 26 percent to 28 percent below its 2005 level in 2025 and to make its best efforts to reduce emissions by 28 percent.

China intends to achieve peak CO2 emissions around 2030, according to the US-China Joint Announcement on Climate Change in November 2014.

"China remains steadfast in its promises and actions in dealing with climate change, and in the global arena, pushing for the implementation of the Paris pact," He said. "The country will play an active, constructive and even leading role in the global climate change governance."

"With its ramped-up efforts, chances are China would meet its NDC ahead of time," He said.

Qi Ye, director of the Brookings-Tsinghua Center and moderator of Monday's discussion, earlier said that the decision of the US was not expected to affect the policy or actions of China on climate change.

"It is time that the international community considers a new global climate governance that works in the Trump era and beyond, no matter what the president decides," Qi told the London-based website chinadalouge last month.

huanxinzhao@chinadailyusa.com