Ambassador Zheng Zeguang published a signed article in the British newspaper The Guardian: "China keeps its promises on climate change, with remarkable results"

According to the website of the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom, on October 27, 2021, the website of the Mainstream British Newspaper "The Guardian" published an article signed by Zheng Zeguang, Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom, with the title of "China's FaithfulNess and Promises on Climate Change, With Remarkable Results", introducing China's policy position on the issue of climate change.

The full text is as follows:

As the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) hosted by the United Kingdom is about to take place, I have heard some people express concerns about China's ability to deliver on its commitment to reduce emissions, arguing that COP26 and the global response to climate change will hardly succeed without China's real participation and greater contribution. I think if you know enough about China, you will know that China is serious about reducing carbon emissions and achieving green development, and China will do what it says, and the above worries are superfluous.

First of all, President Xi Jinping's concept of "green water and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains" has become the consensus of the whole Chinese society. Since the Eighteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the construction of ecological civilization has been listed as a "five-in-one" overall layout together with economic construction, political construction, social construction, and cultural construction, and its priority position has been determined from the guiding ideology of the ruling party.

Second, China announced its "double carbon" target last year, which aims to peak carbon by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, and at the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly last month, President Xi reiterated this goal and announced that China will not build new coal power projects abroad. At the just-concluded 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) Leaders' Summit, President Xi Jinping further put forward four major policy proposals for biodiversity conservation (that is, taking the construction of ecological civilization as the guide, coordinating the relationship between man and nature; taking green transformation as the driving force to promote global sustainable development; taking people's well-being as the center to promote social fairness and justice; and maintaining a fair and reasonable international governance system based on international law), advocating the joint construction of a community of life on earth. Under China's leadership, the Kunming Declaration has been adopted, and China has initiated the establishment of the Kunming Biodiversity Fund and provided the first batch of 1.5 billion yuan of start-up funds. All this reflects the determination and determination of China's top leaders to protect the ecology and cope with gas changes.

Third, anyone who knows China's political system knows that once the CPC Central Committee and its top leaders have identified major issues and put forward policy objectives, they will be included in the overall national development plan, turned into an operational action plan, and effectively implemented by all localities and departments. In the 72 years since the founding of New China, China's development miracle has been achieved in this way. In fact, China has already exceeded its 2020 climate action targets ahead of schedule. By the end of 2020, carbon intensity will be about 48% lower than in 2005, and non-fossil energy will account for about 16% of primary energy consumption. China is building a "1+N" policy system to achieve carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, and will adopt a series of policy measures in a number of major areas. China has launched the world's largest carbon market online trading, is promoting the world's largest nuclear power construction, and accelerated the planning and construction of large-scale wind power photovoltaic base projects in desert, Gobi and desert areas, and the first phase of the project with an installed capacity of about 100 million kilowatts has recently started in an orderly manner.

Fourth, proceeding from the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, China is doing its best to help developing countries improve their ability to cope with climate change. From climate remote sensing satellites in Africa, to low-carbon demonstration zones in Southeast Asia, to energy-saving lamps in small island countries, the achievements of China's South-South cooperation in addressing climate change are visible, tangible and effective. China has launched a green action initiative in the construction of the "Belt and Road" to promote green infrastructure, green energy, green transportation, green finance, etc. In 2020, renewable energy investment accounted for 57% of China's total investment in the "Belt and Road" countries from 38% in 2019. China will continue to vigorously support the green and low-carbon development of energy in developing countries.

The international community must recognize that as a large developing country with a population of more than 1.4 billion people still in the process of industrialization and urbanization, China's nationally determined contribution goals and policy measures to address climate change in the world are not easy. China's self-pressure is not only to achieve sustainable development in the country and benefit its own people, but also to make a major contribution to the global efforts to protect the ecology and cope with climate change. As a developed country that has been industrialized for hundreds of years and has left a large number of historical debts, it should make greater contributions to pollution control and the protection of the human environment, rather than blindly shifting responsibilities to China and other developing countries.

China is willing to implement the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries with the British side, strengthen communication and coordination between COP15 and COP26, support COP26 to achieve positive results, and promote the comprehensive, effective and sustained implementation of the Paris Agreement.

All parties should adhere to the principles and requirements of the Convention and its Paris Agreement, and take it as important goals to complete the negotiations on the implementation rules of the Paris Agreement, especially the market mechanism of Article VI, and to promote positive progress on topics of concern to developing countries, such as adaptation and funding. The principles of common but differentiated responsibilities, fairness and individual capacities should be adhered to. Developed countries should and must assume the obligation to take the lead in drastic emission reductions, which is the key to achieving overall global net zero emissions at an early date. Developed countries should also significantly increase their efforts to provide financial, technological and capacity-building support to developing countries, avoid setting up green trade barriers, and help them accelerate the green and low-carbon transition. It is necessary to focus on implementation and enhance international mutual trust, especially the commitment made by developed countries a few years ago to provide $100 billion in annual funding to developing countries by 2020. All countries should believe what they say and do what they do, rather than pay lip service to the truth and shout empty slogans.

China and the UK are all countries with important influence in the world and should make greater achievements in human development and progress. There is great potential for cooperation between China and the UK in protecting biodiversity and addressing climate change. We should work with the international community to strengthen policy dialogue, policy coordination and pragmatic cooperation in the fields of green development and ecological protection, so as to benefit the people of the two countries and promote the joint construction of a community of life on earth.