BEIJING: In recent news, China’s foreign ministry has vehemently denied reports claiming on Wednesday that it obstructed discussions on tackling climate change during the Group of 20 (G20) meetings held in India last week.
The ministry stated that such reports are “completely inconsistent with the facts.” The G20 meetings, which spanned over three days, focused on crucial issues like cutting emissions, reducing fossil fuel usage, and climate finance to support developing nations. However, despite the importance of the topics discussed, a joint communique or any significant new pledges failed to surface.
Members of the European delegation attending the meetings accused China and oil-rich Saudi Arabia of stepping back from making commitments. However, China firmly rejected these allegations. The foreign ministry expressed regret at the inability to reach an agreement during the meetings, attributing the failure to “geopolitical issues” raised by other countries “for no reason.”
China, as one of the world’s largest contributors to global coal production, has faced mounting pressure to take more substantial actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In response, the country has argued that its historical and per capita CO2 emissions remain lower than those of the United States. Furthermore, China believes that the G20 should focus on building political consensus among its members and fully respect the different development stages and national conditions of countries.
The urgency of addressing climate change has been underscored by extreme weather events worldwide. For instance, parts of China, including its capital, Beijing, recently experienced the heaviest rainfall in 140 years, raising concerns about the accelerating pace of global warming.
Despite these challenges, China has made commitments to combat climate change. The country has pledged to peak its emissions before the end of the decade and become carbon-neutral by 2060. Notably, China has made significant strides in expanding clean energy capacity. However, it has been facing criticism for continuing to increase fossil fuel consumption, with no plans to start cutting coal use until 2026.
In a bid to restore trust and cooperation between China and the United States on climate issues, US climate envoy John Kerry visited Beijing last month. The visit aimed to build momentum for the upcoming COP28 climate talks in Dubai at the end of the year.
