Climate Roundtable Session at the 10th China and Globalization Forum

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

Ms. Mabel Lu Miao, Secretary General, Center for China & Globalization,

His Excellency Mr. Scott Dewar, Ambassador of Australia to China,

Mr. Steve Howard, Secretary General, the Global Foundation,

Mr. Tamas Hajba, Senior Advisor for China and Head of the OECD Beijing Office,

Mr. Erik Berglöf, Chief Economist, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, we gather to discuss the role of international cooperation in tackling the climate crisis and helping us make peace with nature. 

We face a triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss, and our choices now will have profound implications for future generations. 

The pathway to a net zero and nature-positive world is necessary for survival, and international cooperation sits at the centre of our ability to realize this endeavour.

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said, “Humanity has waged a war we can only lose: our war with nature.”

Meanwhile, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has highlighted the grave consequences of exceeding a 1.5°C increase in global temperatures, from catastrophic weather events to detrimental impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems. 

We need meaningful cuts to carbon emissions in this decade and the achievement of net zero by the middle of this century.

Meeting these targets requires adopting renewable energy, along with innovations in land use, carbon capture and energy efficiency technologies, among others.

For China’s part, it has pledged to achieve a peak in carbon emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060. 

However, China and the world can go further thanks to new advances, but only if we work together.

These include solar and wind power, energy storage solutions, smart grids, electric vehicles, investments in early warning systems, climate-resilient infrastructure, and more.

In developing and deploying these technologies, China has emerged as a global leader.

But no single country can tackle climate change alone. 

Here, international cooperation is vital.

On resource sharing, different nations possess varying levels of technological advancement, research capabilities, and financial resources. 

By sharing resources, we can accelerate development and deployment. 

This is crucial in the context of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’, a key component of global climate negotiations that recognizes that some countries have more responsibility to act, given their level of development and historical emissions.

Harmonization of regulations and policies across countries can also help ensure that efforts in one region are not offset by lax standards elsewhere. 

Developing national or regional carbon markets can help to support these efforts, as launched in Hong Kong in 2022, in setting limits and providing incentives for reducing emissions.

Meanwhile, joint research and development can allow countries to pool expertise and funds, driving innovation.

We have already seen some fruits of international cooperation on climate and nature.

The Paris Agreement was a landmark accord. 

It underscored the importance of collective action and provided a framework for countries to set and achieve their goals. 

The same can be said of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

At later UN Climate Change Conferences, we have seen consensus on the need to phase out fossil fuels and support developing countries through a Loss and Damage Fund.

Despite this, significant challenges remain. 

On financing, new mechanisms, such as green bonds and climate funds, are essential to mobilize the necessary capital.

Similarly, public-private partnerships can see us leveraging both of their strengths to drive large-scale investments.

On political will, sustaining global commitment to climate action requires strong leadership that prioritizes the public interest and long-term sustainability over short-term thinking.

At the same time, developing countries often face the brunt of climate impacts but have fewer resources to address them. 

Ensuring equitable access to new technologies and financing is crucial for global stability and limiting global temperature increase to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. 

To move forward, we must strengthen international cooperation through enhanced multilateralism.

Communication channels must remain open and active, fostering trust and collaboration among nations. 

High-level climate summits, like the COP meetings or bilateral efforts, as seen between China and the United States, play a vital role.         

We hope to hear more about how we can cooperate better on climate and nature at the upcoming Summit of the Future this September.

The world must take this crisis as an opportunity to work together in the face of our many divides for a common cause and safeguard our planet.

Thank you.