IGEA 2024 New Year’s Symposium

His Excellency Mr. Sha Zukang, Former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Honorary Chairman of IGEA,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for the opportunity to speak about an urgent issue that confronts people and the planet - the need to advance a green economy.

I wish to start by congratulating the International Green Economy Association (IGEA) for their work in promoting green development, guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and I commend the leadership of Mr. Sha Zukang, former Under Secretary-General of the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs in shepherding the important work of IGEA.

At this week’s World Economic Forum, Premier of the People’s Republic of China, His Excellency Mr. Li Qiang, said, “Humanity still faces many challenges in addressing climate change and promoting green and low-carbon transition.”

Environmental degradation continues to escalate. Our forests, oceans, and biodiversity face unprecedented threats, and climate change shows no mercy as it brings forth devastating floods, wildfires, and storms with increasing frequency. 

Climate change knows no boundaries; it affects every nation, every economy, and every person. Therefore, our efforts must be collective. Collaborating on a green economy is essential to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.

The economic rationale for a green economy is clear, with new opportunities for growth, innovation, and job creation. Economic transformations in the energy sector, sustainable agriculture, and transportation already illustrate this potential. Green industries are creating more jobs than their non-sustainable counterparts. 

Here, collaboration can stimulate a robust market for green technologies, fostering innovation, bringing down costs, and making these solutions more accessible.

By sharing knowledge, technology, and best practices, we can sustainably make use of our natural resources, conserving them for future generations. Nations can learn from other’s successes and failures, fast-tracking the path to sustainability.

A green economy is also fundamentally about social equity.  An inclusive approach means that on our path toward sustainability, we ensure that vulnerable communities are not left behind. International cooperation ensures that we can extend the benefits of green growth to developing countries, supporting them through technology transfer, capacity building, and financial investments. This is not just principled; it is practical.

Public-private partnerships are also a testament to the power of collaboration. When governments align with the private sector, we see an acceleration in the development and deployment of environmental policies and green technologies. 

As the events co-organized by IGEA that I attended at last year’s China International Fair on Trade in Services emphasized, the role of the private sector is vital in ensuring that we avoid the worst effects of climate change and put ourselves on the path towards a more sustainable future.

Let us remember that collaboration extends beyond national governments and industries. Academia, civil society, local communities, and individuals—each has a role in advancing a green economy. 

It is through grassroots movements, consumer choices, and individual actions that change is often most immediate.

As the world's largest carbon emitter, China's commitment to peaking carbon emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060 marked an important step in climate action. The country has since embarked on substantial investments in renewable energy, with progress on initiatives such as expanding solar and wind capacity, promoting electric vehicles, and restructuring its energy framework. These steps taken by China not only help it reach the goals of the Paris Agreement but also support accelerating global progress on the SDGs.

As governments around the world are set to prepare new economy-wide national climate plans over the next two years, we hope that China, too, brings forward a plan that is aligned with the 1.5-degree temperature goal and covers all greenhouse gases.

To solve this global challenge, it is also imperative that China accelerate its transition to renewable energy sources and that it shares its experiences and technical expertise with other developing countries. China can serve as an example to the rest of the world. Its leadership in the climate agenda is critical. This will accelerate our transition to net zero and provide China with valuable investment opportunities. 

China’s focus on stressing ecological conservation is most welcome, as halting and reversing biodiversity loss is just as crucial for sustainable development and the economy, particularly agriculture, as it is for the environment.

On such actions, the UN in China stands ready in the year ahead, through the implementation of its Cooperation Framework, to continue supporting the people and Government of China in achieving green development.

At the World Economic Forum, UN Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres, said, “We must now act to ensure a just and equitable transition to renewable energy”.

So, let action and collaboration be the legacy that defines our era—a legacy that shows we chose to work together to face the greatest challenge of our time.

Thank you.