Multi-approaches: Tackling Climate Change and Energy Issues

The aerial views of Montenegro’s highway built by China. (PHOTO: VCG)

Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the international community to take concrete actions to address climate change and energy issues on October 31, while addressing the 16th G20 Leaders' Summit via video link in Beijing.

Xi urged for the full and effective implementation of the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, upholding the role of the UN as the main channel, following the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, abiding by international law, and being action - oriented.

Public opinion across the world is paying close attention to China's commitments and the new decisions that the country has made to address climate change and energy issues.

Resetting the Belt and Road Initiative

On October 18 -19, the second Belt and Road Energy Ministerial Conference, themed "Join Hands towards a Greener and More Inclusive Energy Future," was held in Qingdao, Shandong province. The Belt and Road Energy Partnership was stressed at the conference.

Against the backdrop of a climate-change crisis, energy supply in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries should become more green and inclusive.

Journalist Ralph Jennings said on the Voice of America, that green energy is the new focus of China's one -of-a-kind BRI, aiming to build a series of infrastructure projects from Asia to Europe. The new contents of BRI will focus on greener projects, instead of pollution - generating coal -fired plants, he said.

"China's policy shift towards a more green BRI reflects China's own commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2060 and its efforts to implement a green transition within China's domestic economy," said Rajiv Biswas, Asia -Pacific chief economist with the market research firm IHS Markit.

Biswas said that furthermore, China's policy shift also reflects the increasing policy priority being given towards renewable energy and sustainable development policies by most of China's BRI partner countries. Moreover, BRI helps lift the economies of developing countries from Kazakhstan to more modern ones, such as Portugal.

Increasing commitments to reduce emissions

Sébastien Treyer, the executive director of a Paris think tank Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), said that the first big expectation for China is to increase commitments to reduce emissions and honour previous commitments to reduce emissions.

"We expect China to play a positive role in international assistance. For example, at the G20 Summit, when the Paris Club (the Paris Club is a group of officials from major creditor countries whose role is to find coordinated and sustainable solutions to the payment difficulties experienced by debtor countries) addressed the issue of reducing the debt of poor countries, the Chinese government accepted the possibility of reducing the debt of poor countries," Treyer said, this is a very positive signal, which brings new possibilities to the meeting.

Praising China's decision to cut off credit for overseas coal -power development at the UN General Assembly in September, Treyer said this was a crucial step. He also pointed out that in the long run, China has huge potential for developing renewable energy.

Shifting China's stance on climate change

According to opinions from Carbon Brief (a UK-based website specializing in the science and policy of climate change), there are three main reasons for the recent significant change in China's climate policy.

First, Chinese society has become more aware of climate change.

Second, China is becoming a high-income country, with per-capita GDP exceeding 10,000 USD for the first time in 2019.

At the same time, renewable energy has developed rapidly in China, which has significantly reduced the cost of renewable energy promotion and use worldwide.

Third, Sino-American and Sino-European relations have also become the catalyst for the shifting of the nation's climate policy.

China has made a solemn commitment on the international community to tackle climate change. Thus, the decade ahead will be a crucial period to take action.