Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson highlighted China’s contribution to climate change and improving environment, reiterating that climate change is a global challenge and requires every country to contribute, in response to US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry’s saying that “productive” conversations were held in Beijing. 

Kerry said at a press conference late Wednesday, as he was set to wrap up his visit to China, that the US and China failed to reach new climate agreements despite “productive” conversations.

Kerry said more meetings would be held between the two countries in the run-up to crucial COP28 talks in Dubai at the end of the year.

In response, Mao Ning, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said climate change is a global challenge that requires a global response. China is a doer on ecological conservation and climate governance. China accounts for a quarter of the world’s newly added green areas since 2000. 

Mao said we are the first country to have achieved zero net land degradation, reduced both the areas of desertified and sandified land, and expanded our forest coverage ratio and forest stock volume. China has the biggest clean power generation system in the world. Our installed hydro, wind, and solar capacities all top the world. 

With an average three-percent year-on-year energy consumption growth, China has propelled an economy growing at an average annual rate of 6.2 percent. We are one of the fastest countries in terms of lowering energy intensity, said Mao.

China is also a trailblazer on environmental governance. We have actively facilitated the full, balanced, and effective implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, while providing as much support and help we can to other developing countries—a contribution we have made to a fair and equitable system of global climate governance that benefits all, Mao noted.

Global Times