Developed countries should take lead in drastically cutting carbon emissions: Chinese FM

BEIJING, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Developed countries should take the lead in drastically increasing their efforts in emissions reduction, reach net-zero carbon emissions much earlier than 2050, and create space for developing countries to achieve sustainable development goals, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked to comment on a report launched by the United Nations Environment Programme which said that nations must go further than current Paris pledges or face global warming of 2.5-2.9 degrees Celsius.

"In recent years, extreme weather events have been rampant with acute negative impacts. The report reminds us again that global efforts to address climate change are far from enough," Wang said.

He noted that consensus has been reached under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement on the principles and goals of the global climate response.

The Convention and the Agreement call on developed countries to take the lead in drastically cutting their carbon emissions and provide support in finance, technology and capacity-building for climate actions of developing countries, Wang said, adding that developing countries should also actively contribute strength to addressing climate change.

As a responsible major developing country, China has over-shot the climate action targets of 2020 ahead of schedule, will make the steepest cuts in the world to the intensity of its carbon emissions, and will complete the process from carbon emissions peaking to carbon neutrality in the shortest span of time, actively contributing its strength to global climate governance, Wang said.

He pointed out that the climate policies and objectives that China has adopted now are fully consistent with the long-term temperature goal of the Paris Agreement.

"However, the mitigation efforts from developed countries are far from enough," Wang said, noting that developed countries should take the lead in drastically increasing their efforts in emissions reduction, reach net-zero carbon emissions much earlier than 2050, and create space for developing countries to achieve sustainable development goals.

Developed countries also need to take credible steps to fully fulfill their obligations of supporting developing countries in finance, technology and capacity-building, realizing the temperature goal of the Paris Agreement with concrete actions, the spokesperson said.

The upcoming COP28 will see the first-ever global stocktake of the Paris Agreement, which is highly anticipated by all parties, Wang said.

"We hope that this global stocktake will focus on implementation," Wang said, expressing the hope that COP28 will take the global stocktake as an opportunity to act on multilateralism with the UN at its core, fully address developing countries' concerns, respond to climate change with solidarity and cooperation so as to create more favorable conditions to implement the Convention and the Agreement.