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SCIO press conference on 'Responding to Climate Change: China's Policies and Actions' white paper

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Xing Huina:

Thank you, Mr. Ye, for your introduction. Now you are welcome to ask questions. Please let us know the news organization you are from before asking questions.

CCTV:

What is the difference between today's white paper on climate change and those of the past? Secondly, what do you think is the biggest opportunity for China to deal with climate change? What are the other challenges? Thank you.

Ye Min:

Thank you for your questions. Regarding the white paper, as I just mentioned, in 2011 the State Council Information Office released the white paper "China's Policies and Actions for Addressing Climate Change (2011)." Then, from 2012 to 2020 we released "The Annual Report of China's Policies and Actions for Addressing Climate Change" every year and continue to inform the public of the progress and efficacy of China's climate change response.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the work on climate change and implemented proactive national strategies on climate change. The work of tackling climate change has undergone historic and transformative changes, from understanding to conceptualizing and through to practice, while achieving world-renowned results. The white paper released this time systematically expounds upon General Secretary Xi Jinping's new ideas, new thinking and new strategies regarding China's response to climate change. It also provides a comprehensive overview of China's policies and measures to address climate change and all of the results since the 18th CPC National Congress, especially during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. Moreover, it systematically outlines China's path and plans to address climate change, and fully reflects China's important contributions and tremendous efforts to the issue, all of which demonstrates that China proactively shoulders the international responsibility for climate change as well as the responsibility and accountability of building a community with a shared future for mankind. At the same time, the most recent white paper reiterates China's stance and proposition on global climate governance and offers advocacy proposals and appeals to the international community to build a fair, reasonable, cooperative and win-win global climate governance system.

Regarding opportunities and challenges: Green and low-carbon development is not only a world trend but also a new engine of economic growth, as well as a new development opportunity for the future. The CPC Central Committee is far-sighted, makes precise deployments, seizes this period of strategic opportunities, and sets mid- and long-term goals and visions for addressing climate change. It regards an active response to climate change as a key task in advancing high-quality development and high-level ecological protection, which shows China's initiative to assume the international responsibility of responding to climate change and its role in promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.

In recent years, China has adopted a series of strong policy measures to adjust the industrial structure, optimize the energy structure, maximize energy efficiency, increase forest carbon sinks, and improve adaptability to climate change, while achieving remarkable results. As of the end of 2020, China's carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP had dropped by 48.4% compared to that of 2005, exceeding the 40% to 45% target that China had previously promised to the international community. At the same time, top-level design has been continuously improved, the construction of market mechanisms has been promoted, and public awareness has been raised, forming a solid situation and environment in which the efforts to address climate change continue to advance.

However, at the same time, our country is also faced with difficulties and challenges in dealing with climate change. As the world undergoes major changes unseen in a century, the rise of unilateralism and protectionism is also complicating the international situation in addressing the climate change issue. China pledges to achieve carbon neutrality around 30 years after peaking carbon dioxide emissions. The timeframe has been greatly shortened compared to that of major developed countries. Hence we are faced with more difficult tasks related to energy and industrial transformation. As the biggest developing country in the world, China is facing multiple challenges including developing its economy, improving living standards, curbing pollution, safeguarding energy security and so on. Additionally, we still have problems of unbalanced and inadequate development. At present, we also have deficiencies and weaknesses in the aspects of cognitive level, policy tools, measures and foundational capabilities when dealing with climate change. However, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, we are fully determined and capable of completing the arduous tasks of achieving peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality.

Next, we will ground our work in this new stage of development, resolutely implement the new development philosophy, foster a new development pattern, adhere to a systematic approach, and properly handle the relationships between development and emission reduction, the whole and parts, as well as the short term and the mid and long term. We will bring peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality into the whole layout of the eco-civilization construction, unswervingly follow the path of green, low-carbon and high-quality development that gives priority to ecology, and resolutely carry out national strategies featuring proactive responses to climate change, in a bid to achieve peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality on schedule. We will continue to make contributions to deal with global climate change. That is all from me. Thank you.