President Xi Voices Support for Global Climate Governance

Chinese President Xi Jinping on December 12, 2020, urged the international community to pursue a new approach to climate governance that highlights green recovery and pledged China's further commitment for 2030 to tackling the global climate challenge at the virtual Climate Ambition Summit.

Hailing the extensive international support to and participation in the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change since its adoption in 2015, Xi said the international landscape is evolving more rapidly, and COVID-19 is triggering deep reflection on the relationship between man and nature.

When talking about how the future of global climate governance is drawing greater attention, Xi made the following three proposals. First, all parties need to close ranks and make new advances in climate governance that feature win-win cooperation. Second, there is a need to raise ambition and foster a new architecture of climate governance where every party does its part. Third, all parties should boost confidence and pursue a new approach to climate governance that highlights green recovery.

Xi also announced China's extended commitment for 2030 to tackling the global climate challenge: China will lower its carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by over 65 percent from the 2005 level, increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 25 percent, increase the forest stock volume by six billion cubic meters from the 2005 level, and raise its total installed capacity of wind and solar power to over 1.2 billion kilowatts.

The summit, which aims to make new commitments to tackling climate change and delivering on the Paris Agreement, was co-convened by the United Nations (UN), the United Kingdom, and France, and in partnership with Chile and Italy.