context: The China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development was established as part of the PRC’s commitment to the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and its Agenda 21. It brings together leading international experts and organisations to collaborate on advancing the PRC’s environmental and sustainable development goals.
At the 2024 Annual Meeting of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development on 10 October, Xie Zhenhua 解振华 vice chair noted the urgency of adapting to climate change, especially for developing countries.
Xie stressed that with global temperatures already rising by 1.45°C, it is unlikely that the goal of limiting the increase to 1.5°C by 2030 will be met. Adaptation has become a priority, as it is a matter of survival.
Xie noted that balancing climate adaptation with mitigation efforts can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support developing countries in managing life-threatening risks. He called for policies to enhance climate resilience in cities and densely populated areas.
Xie described climate change as an urgent crisis, pointing to more frequent extreme weather events causing global losses. He referenced the UAE Consensus from COP28 (UN Climate Conference 2024), which stresses the need to triple global renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030.
The PRC, he noted, is making significant progress toward its climate goals, with its wind and solar power capacity reaching 1.2 TW by mid-2024—achieving international targets six years ahead of schedule. Electric vehicles in the PRC now number nearly 30 million, with 50 percent of new cars being new energy vehicles.
Xie concluded by expressing the PRC’s willingness to share its decarbonisation technologies and best practices, while also learning from international experiences to advance green transformation efforts globally.