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COP26
ChinaDiplomacy

Xi Jinping calls on countries to combat climate change, but does not unveil any new commitments in written statement to COP26

  • Xi Jinping calls on countries to focus on ‘concrete actions’ and harness innovations in science and technology to ‘accelerate the green transition’
  • He does not unveil any new climate commitments by China, but says that the government would be rolling out specific implementation plans

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President Xi Jinping’s address to world leaders at the G20 summit on Sunday is shown on a screen at a Beijing shopping centre. The meeting was a prelude to COP26 in Glasgow. Photo: Reuters
Echo XieandOwen Churchill
Chinese President Xi Jinping called on developed countries to do more to support developing nations’ efforts to combat climate change on Monday, as world leaders – excluding himself – gathered in Glasgow for a United Nations conference to seek ways to avert the climate crisis.
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In a written statement delivered to the COP26 summit, Xi also called on countries to focus on “concrete actions,” set “realistic targets and visions”, and harness innovations in science and technology to “accelerate the green transition”.

“Developed countries should not only do more themselves, but should also provide support to help developing countries do better,” Xi said, reiterating a message he delivered to G20 leaders on Saturday.

Xi did not unveil any new climate commitments by China in his brief statement, but said that his government would be rolling out specific implementation plans in sectors including energy, industry, construction and transport. Those plans, he said, would be coupled with supporting policy actions including taxation and financial incentives.

The comments came as Washington criticised China over its no-show at the COP26 leaders’ conference, and described the country as an “outlier” in terms of global alignment with the goal to limit the Earth’s warming by 1.5 degrees.

Calling climate change the “existential threat to human existence”, US President Joe Biden pledged in his COP26 address that the US would meet its target to cut emissions by more than half by 2030, appearing to acknowledge concerns about Washington’s commitment following the administration of Donald Trump.
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