On March 2, Ambassador Qin Gang delivered a video keynote speech at the opening session of U.S.-China Dialogue Series: Forum on Innovation in Energy, the Environment and Sustainability.

Ambassador Qin said there are plenty of challenges in the current China-U.S. relationship, which is not in the fundamental interests of the two peoples, while it is people’s aspiration to create opportunities for a better relationship. 

Last November, President Xi Jinping held a virtual summit with President Joe Biden, providing the direction and guidance for China-U.S. relations in the new era. China is ready to work with the U.S. to implement the spirit of the summit and inject more positive energy into our relations.

Ambassador Qin said cooperation on climate just provides such positive energy. It also sets a great example for our two countries to overcome challenges and create opportunities. Climate change is a common challenge for all, and it concerns the well-being of our future generations. 

It does not treat countries differently according to their ideology, political system, development stage or cultural traditions. In recent years, frequent extreme weather events, such as hurricane, drought and flood, have highlighted the urgency of the climate crisis, and turned it from a future challenge to an ongoing one.

Ambassador Qin pointed out, guided by the vision of a community of life for man and Nature, China pursues a path of green, low-carbon and sustainable development. China has taken the initiative to intensify our climate actions. 

In the past 10 years, we have phased out 120 million kilowatts of outdated coal-fired power capacity. Last year, the construction of the first batch of wind and photo-voltaic power stations with a total capacity of 100 million kilowatts was launched. China will strive to peak its CO2 emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. As the largest developing country, China will make the world’s biggest cut in carbon emission intensity, and transition from carbon peaking to carbon neutrality in the shortest time in history.

Ambassador Qin pointed out China and the U.S. have greater agreement than differences on climate issues. Both sides underscore the need to jointly lead ambitious global actions. Based on such understanding, the two sides signed the China-U.S. Joint Statement Addressing the Climate Change last April, and issued the China-U.S. Joint Glasgow Declaration on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s last November, outlining actions and tasks to jointly combat the climate crisis. 

Ambassador Qin emphasized the whole world is expecting China and the U.S. to jointly lead global actions on climate change. Our two countries will try our best to fulfill Paris Agreement’s aim to hold the global average temperature increase to well below 2 degrees Celsius and to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius. 

We will work with other parties to achieve ambitious, balanced and inclusive outcome on mitigation, adaptation and support, reflecting the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. We will take concrete actions and strengthen cooperation in the development of carbon pollution-free electricity, phase-down of coal consumption, management and control of methane, and elimination of global illegal deforestation. 

We will establish a Working Group on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s, advance policy and technical exchanges, and facilitate participation by local governments, enterprises, think tanks and academics.

Ambassador Qin stressed, nowadays, new challenges keep arising one after another. There are so many areas where China and the U.S. should and must cooperate. China is the biggest developing country, and the U.S. the biggest developed country. Both countries are permanent members of the UN Security Council with special international responsibilities and obligations. Our two countries should bear in mind the overall interests of mankind, take up our responsibilities and put in our wisdom to take climate change as a signpost in China-U.S. cooperation, in line with the trend of the times and the wishes of people of the whole world, strengthen cooperation in various areas, and deliver greater benefits to people of both countries and the world.

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