China will send a delegation to the 31st meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which is scheduled for Nov 9-20 in Antalya, Türkiye, and will actively promote international climate negotiations, an official said on Wednesday.
As a primary channel and platform for international cooperation in addressing climate change, COP31 will feature negotiations and consultations on nearly 100 agenda items related to the implementation of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, covering mitigation, adaptation, finance and just transition.
As the focus of global climate governance shifts from rule-making to implementation, China supports COP31 in prioritizing implementation and addressing both longstanding issues such as insufficient emissions reductions and inadequate financial support from developed countries, and emerging challenges including unilateralism and protectionism that undermine collective climate action, said Li Gao, vice minister of ecology and environment, at a press conference in Beijing.
China will work to ensure that the multilateral process supports and enables all parties, particularly developing countries, to implement their Nationally Determined Contributions, thereby advancing the goals of the Paris Agreement through concrete action.
"The top priority is to consolidate political consensus on solidarity and cooperation in addressing climate change. COP31 should uphold multilateralism and adhere to the objectives of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, as well as the principle of 'common but differentiated responsibilities', sending a clear political signal to the international community that the global green and low-carbon transition is irreversible," Li said.
In order to make progress on climate finance, COP31 should host in-depth discussions on the roadmap for developed countries to deliver the 300-billion-U.S.-dollar climate finance goal by 2035 and to triple adaptation finance.
It should also advance the establishment of international mechanisms for a just transition, helping countries, particularly developing countries, address transition-related challenges and narrow the gap between the Global North and the Global South, Li said.
As a responsible major developing country, China has consistently participated in and promoted international climate negotiations in a proactive and constructive manner, and will contribute Chinese solutions, wisdom and strength to the success of COP31, he added.
China vows to actively promote climate talks at upcoming COP31
