Ambassadors' Roundtable on Climate Dialogue of the 9th China and Globalization Forum

A recording of these remarks can be found on YouTube and Tencent

His Excellency Mr. Xie Zhenhua,

His Excellency Mr. Nicholas Burns,

His Excellency Mr. Jorge Toledo,

Excellencies,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

To face the challenges of constructing a more sustainable 21st century, the urgent need for more global dialogue on climate action, including between China, the United States, and countries of the European Union, is clear.

This roundtable initiated by the Center for China and Globalization at the 9th China and Globalization Forum is, therefore, most welcome.

Climate change's repercussions are becoming increasingly obvious.

In his recent address to the 78th Session of the General Assembly, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres put it bluntly when he said, “We have just survived the hottest days, the hottest months, and the hottest summer on the books. Behind every broken record are broken economies, broken lives and whole nations at the breaking point. Every continent, every region and every country is feeling the heat. But I’m not sure all leaders are feeling that heat. Actions are falling abysmally short.”

From Hawaii to Greece to Xian, the extreme weather has upended lives and livelihoods. We have reached a tipping point, the U.S, EU, China and the world are seeing a dark and malevolent side of nature, testing the limits of human survival.

One only needs to look at the inequity and loss caused by the recent and unprecedented floods in Libya, where the skies unleashed 100 times the monthly rainfall in just 24 hours, resulting in the deaths of thousands of already vulnerable people.

As first movers assemble at today’s Climate Ambition Summit in New York, we recognize that sustained cooperation on climate change between China, the U.S., and the EU is essential, due to their size, economies and significant contributions to global emissions.

By fostering continued communication, cooperation, and collaboration among them, we have the potential to make further headway in tackling climate change.

However, this call for cooperation goes beyond sharing responsibility. It recognizes that each of these global powers possesses unique expertise, resources, and technological breakthroughs. By maintaining conversations, we can share best practices, information, and innovations to accelerate the transition to renewable energy and net zero.

I'd also like to make the case that now, more than ever, we need to resurrect and revitalize the spirit of multilateralism, with the United Nations as a central pillar.

The UN has long served as a forum for such a conversation, global cooperation and consensus-building. In the midst of the climate crisis, it is vital to ensure that every nation has a voice and that inclusive decisions are made.

Furthermore, facilitating dialogue on climate action may foster trust and collaboration among major powers, who frequently find themselves at odds in rising geopolitical tensions, to instead focus on the common and existential threat of climate change.

We do see good news and signs of progress from all three parties.

In the U.S., the landmark Inflation Reduction Act included US$ 369 billion in climate provisions, estimated to reduce its emissions by around 40% of 2005 levels by 2030.

The European Green Deal agreed to by EU Member States offers similar opportunities for innovation and a reduction of its emissions by at least 55% on 1990 levels by 2030.

Last year, China spent US$ 546 billion on clean energy, while manufacturing and deploying more renewables than the rest of the world combined. I saw firsthand how the Kubuqi desert in Inner Mongolia has been transformed into a green belt rich in agricultural products and livestock, transforming the lives and livelihoods of the local population.

Here in China, we as the UN family continue to encourage the scaling up of its best practices, the acceleration of its transition to renewables and carbon neutrality, and its engagement in bilateral and multilateral channels to push forward the global agenda on climate action.

But the whole will always be greater than the sum of its parts.

Ladies and Gentlemen, at the height of the Cold War scientists collaborated to find a vaccine to end the scourge of smallpox. That is why the time has come to accelerate similar partnerships on climate action between China, the U.S., and the EU. COP 28 in the UAE will provide this opportunity for them and the world to announce greater joint ambitions than they have previously planned, as well as larger commitments: increased joint investments in renewable energy, increased academic and scientific exchange, increased policy collaboration, increased work on agriculture and food systems, and greater commitment to the Global South.

We need a Paris moment in Dubai. But we must go above and beyond. We must deliver solutions that will meet this ambition with real credibility and means of implementation.

Thank you.