Xi calls for joint efforts on climate

China is ready to inject new impetus into global environmental governance

President Xi Jinping called for unprecedented efforts to improve global environmental governance as World Environment Day was celebrated on Saturday.

Xi said the international community should work together with unprecedented ambition and action to strive for a fair and reasonable system of global environmental governance featuring win-win cooperation, and should promote the sustainable development of humanity.

Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory letter to World Environment Day events held on Saturday in Islamabad, Pakistan, with the theme of ecosystem restoration.

He emphasized that Earth is humanity's shared home, and a sound ecosystem is essential for the prosperity of civilizations.

The human race should respect nature, follow its laws, protect it and endeavor to foster a new relationship in which humans and nature can both prosper and live in harmony, he added.

Climate change, biodiversity loss, worsening desertification and frequent extreme weather events have all posed severe challenges to human survival and development, Xi said, noting that the world is a community with a shared future where everyone is in the same boat.

Xi pointed out that Chinese civilization has always valued harmony between humans and nature, and that ecological conservation has been incorporated into the nation's overall plan for building socialism with Chinese characteristics.

As a participant, contributor and trailblazer in global ecological conservation, China is firmly committed to putting multilateralism into action and defending the international system with the United Nations at its core, as well as the international order underpinned by international law, in order to enhance global environmental governance, Xi said.

Noting that China will host the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in October, Xi said China stands ready to discuss and draw up plans together with all parties for ecological conservation, inject new impetus into global environmental governance, foster a community of life for humans and nature, and jointly build a clean and beautiful world.

Also on Saturday, China held a national event for World Environment Day in Xining, the capital of Qinghai province, with the theme of living in harmony with nature.

While addressing the event, Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu vowed to promote the country's accelerated green transition as it endeavors to address fundamental problems that jeopardize the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature.

Although China has made great environmental improvements, the progress is not yet enough to meet the public's expectations, he said.

Huang noted a series of challenges that China needs to address as it forges ahead with its progress of ecological civilization, a concept promoted by President Xi that advocates balanced and sustainable development.

"The country needs to revolutionize its previously shortsighted development approaches of going after near-term gains at the expense of the environment," he said.

Resource-intensive production and consumption modes involving large pollutant emissions should also be reformed, he emphasized.

Huang said the country will strictly restrict development of projects with high energy consumption and emissions as it fosters new development drivers by promoting green finance and developing low-carbon technologies and industries.

Stricter measures

To synergize pollution control and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, the ministry is working on the draft of an action plan to peak emissions that will include intensified compulsory measures, he said.

Qinghai Governor Xin Changxing said the province in Northwest China will bolster efforts to contribute more to the country's climate goals.

China aims to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and become carbon neutral before 2060.

Xin said one of the targets in Qinghai's transition to a green development path is to build the region into a national base for clean energy industries.

In addition to solar, wind and hydroelectric energy, the province will also further tap its potential in developing geothermal resources, he said.