Xi urges developed countries to lead by example on emissions reduction

BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping on Saturday urged developed countries to lead by example on emissions reduction.

Developed countries should fully accommodate the special difficulties and concerns of developing countries, deliver on their commitments of climate financing, and provide technology, capacity-building and other support for developing countries, Xi said while addressing the 16th G20 Leaders' Summit via video link.

"This is critically important for the success of the upcoming COP26," he said, referring to the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will open on Sunday in Glasgow, Scotland.

Xi said the G20 needs to uphold the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, push for the full implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change, and support a successful COP26 and the COP15 to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

China has all along undertaken due international responsibilities commensurate with its national conditions, he said. "We have actively advanced the green transition of our economy, and raised the ambition of our climate actions on our own initiative."

In the past ten years, China phased out 120 million kilowatts of installed coal-fired power generation capacity.

The construction of the first batch of wind and photovoltaic power stations with a total installed capacity of about 100 million kilowatts was launched in an orderly fashion, he said.

Xi reiterated that China will strive to peak its CO2 emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.

"We will honor our words with actions and work with all countries to pursue a path of green, low-carbon and sustainable development," he said.