Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Nov. 14 -- Over the past decade, China has achieved remarkable results in its green and low-carbon transformation, and China has become an important participant, contributor and leader in the global climate governance process.
At the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) "Ecological Civilization and Beautiful China Practice Side Meeting" held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Chinese and foreign guests spoke highly of the achievements made in the construction of a beautiful China, and China's practical actions also benefited the world.
Great strides have been made in the construction of a beautiful China
"Beauty" is one of the five core elements of the goal of socialist modernization and power, and under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, China's ecological environmental protection has undergone historic, turning and overall changes, and the construction of a beautiful China has taken great strides.
Xie Zhenhua, Special Representative of President Xi Jinping and China's Special Envoy for Climate Change Affairs, said that over the past decade, China has become an important participant, contributor and leader in the global climate governance process, and has played an important, positive and constructive role. Over the past decade, China's green and low-carbon transformation has achieved remarkable results.
Xie Zhenhua, Special Representative of President Xi Jinping and China's Special Envoy for Climate Change Affairs, attended the "Ecological Civilization and Beautiful China Practice Side Meeting" and delivered a speech. Photo by China News Network reporter Peng Dawei
CO2 emissions per unit of GDP in 2021 were about 34.4% lower than in 2012. The cumulative installed capacity of hydropower, wind power and photovoltaic power generation ranks first in the world, and the installed capacity of renewable energy accounts for one-third of the world. China has become the country with the largest increase in forest resources in the world. China's new energy vehicle ownership has reached 10 million, accounting for more than half of the world... A series of facts and figures show that China has embarked on a path of green and low-carbon development in line with national conditions.
Zhao Yingmin, head of China's climate change delegation and vice minister of ecology and environment, said that China is one of the countries with the fastest reduction in energy intensity in the world, the largest use of renewable energy in the world, the country with the fastest improvement in air quality in the world, and the country with the largest increase in global forest resources in the past 20 years.
"With the blue sky, green mountains, and clear water, urban residents can see the green when they push their windows, go out to see the scenery, and fully enjoy the beauty and gifts of nature." Qian Yong, director of the Xi Jinping Research Center for Ecological Civilization Thought and director of the Environmental and Economic Policy Research Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said that in the past decade, China has created an ecological miracle and a miracle of green development that have attracted worldwide attention.
Zhang Mingxin, editor-in-chief of China News Service, said that by making every effort to defend the blue sky, clear water and pure land, China has not only solved a large number of prominent ecological and environmental problems related to people's livelihood, but also made the concepts of green development and ecological civilization increasingly deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. On the road of ecological civilization construction and promoting development transformation, China has been at the forefront of the world.
Sun Zhen, a first-level inspector of the Department of Climate Change of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said that as the world's largest developing country, China has overcome its own economic and social difficulties, implemented a series of climate change strategies, measures and actions, participated in global climate governance, and achieved positive results in addressing climate change.
China's benefit to the world has won high praise
A greener and low-carbon China is also benefiting the world, which has won high praise from many foreign guests.
Eric Solheim, former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and former Executive Director of UNEP, said that China has resolutely won the battle against pollution, and at the same time actively responded to climate change, which has restored the beauty of mountains and rivers to their former glory. China is already leading the way in green practices to better protect the natural environment.
"China's progress in the clean energy transition is encouraging." Tim Yeau, former chairman of the House of Commons Select Committee on Energy and Climate Change in the House of Commons, said that China now accounts for almost 40% of the world's wind power capacity and more than 33% of the world's solar power capacity, which is a good example for other countries to follow. With more than half of the world's electric fuel cells and hybrid vehicles currently in China, the shift to electric vehicles would bring benefits to the world by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, particularly by improving air quality in many large cities that would bring direct health benefits to billions of people.
Warren Evans, Special Envoy for Climate at the Asian Development Bank, said that China has achieved remarkable results in mitigating climate change and adapting to climate change, and it is also at the forefront of the world in using carbon pricing as a means of climate policy regulation.
The picture shows the guests watching the opening film of the side event. Photo by China News Network reporter Chen Tianhao
The transformation of beautiful China has made two foreign professors who have lived in China for a long time feel amazed.
Pan Weilian, a professor at Xiamen University's School of Management, who has driven around 200,000 kilometers around China, sees China's unwavering determination to protect the environment and its leaders leading its people to achieve more than many richer and less populous countries.
Mahoney, a professor at the School of Politics and International Relations of East China Normal University, said that the Chinese government listened carefully to the opinions of the masses and responded effectively, the air quality has improved significantly, cities such as Beijing have undergone amazing changes, there are more green spaces in the city, cleaner air, people are healthier, and more and more people can exercise outdoors regularly, which reflects China's determination to build an ecological civilization and its efforts to address climate change and contribute to global ecological well-being.
Constantly moving forward towards the goal of a beautiful China
"China has always been an activist and doer in addressing climate change. China always believes that only when the world is good can China be good; If China is good, the world will be better. As a responsible major country, China will continue to uphold the concept of ecological civilization and move forward towards the goal of building a beautiful China. This is not only China's own business, but also a contribution to the world. Zhao Yingmin said.
Xie Zhenhua said that although many developed countries are affected by geopolitical conflicts and energy crises and climate action has shown some swingback, China still adheres to the strategic determination to actively address climate change, overcome a series of difficulties, promote carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, and form a "1+N" policy system. This fully shows that China's decision to reach carbon peak and carbon neutrality is sound, pragmatic, correct and sustainable, China's climate policies and actions are continuous, and China does what it says and strives to do better.
Qian Yong believes that it is necessary to promote the construction of a beautiful China, take the promotion of harmonious coexistence between man and nature as a hard constraint for planning and development, and give more prominence to the practical deepening and scientific application of system concepts. Adhere to the integrated protection of mountains, water, forests, fields, lakes, grass and sand and systematic governance, coordinate industrial restructuring, pollution control and ecological protection, respond to climate change, and accelerate the comprehensive and green transformation of economic and social development.
Sun Zhen pointed out that China actively and constructively participates in the multilateral process of climate change, implements the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Paris Agreement, supports the reasonable aspirations of developing countries, safeguards the overall interests of developing countries, carries out in-depth South-South cooperation on climate change, and continuously contributes Chinese wisdom, strength and solutions to promoting the construction of a fair, reasonable and win-win global governance system for climate change. (End)