China has made remarkable achievements in energy transformation and promoted global climate governance, demonstrating its responsibility as a major country.

China.com commentator Le Shui

　　On March 5, Premier Li Qiang, on behalf of the State Council, delivered a government work report to the second session of the 14th National People's Congress.

He introduced in the report that in the past year, we have further promoted the construction of a beautiful China, strengthened ecological and environmental protection and governance, accelerated the green transformation of development methods, and actively participated in and promoted global climate governance.

Since China proposed the "double carbon" goal in 2020, it has unswervingly fulfilled its commitments, accelerated the transformation of its energy structure, and joined hands with the international community to make positive contributions to addressing climate change, demonstrating its mission and responsibility as a responsible major country.

　　In 2023, China's renewable energy development has achieved remarkable results, helping to accelerate the global clean energy transformation.

As the epidemic prevention and control achieved a stable transition, China's economy ushered in a steady recovery last year, and electricity consumption also increased year-on-year.

The country's total installed power generation capacity for the whole year was 2.92 billion kilowatts, a year-on-year increase of 13.9%.

At the same time, the cumulative installed capacity of new energy power generation exceeded the installed capacity of coal power for the first time, achieving a historic breakthrough.

According to statistics, last year, the installed capacity of solar power generation was approximately 610 million kilowatts, a year-on-year increase of 55.2%; the installed capacity of wind power was approximately 440 million kilowatts, a year-on-year increase of 20.7%; while the proportion of coal power installed capacity fell below 40% for the first time.

The ebb and flow of new energy and coal power installed capacity means that green renewable energy is increasingly becoming the main force in China's power supply.

Moreover, China's newly installed renewable energy capacity accounts for more than half of the world's new installed capacity, making a huge contribution to the growth of global renewable energy power generation.

　　Building a green and low-carbon energy system is inseparable from the strong support of technological innovation.

In recent years, China’s support for green energy technology research and development has ranked among the top in the world.

As early as 2020, China's public expenditure on energy technology R&D accounted for a quarter of the world's total.

In 2023, China's total investment in the new energy field will reach US$676 billion, equivalent to 38% of the total global investment, and 94% of the combined investment of the European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

　　As the largest developing country in the world, China's economy is still in the stage of medium-to-high-speed development and society has a large demand for electricity. Therefore, it also faces more difficult energy transformation challenges than developed countries in Europe and the United States.

However, China is not only making every effort to accelerate its own energy transformation process, but also actively helping other countries achieve green and low-carbon development.

China produces 70% of the world's photovoltaic modules, wind turbines, gearboxes and other key components.

Photovoltaic and wind power products produced in China help developed countries reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 570 million tons every year, accounting for about 41% of the world's carbon emission reductions converted from renewable energy in the same period.

In addition, data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that in 2023, China will produce 9.443 million new energy vehicles and export 1.773 million vehicles, reducing carbon emissions for the world by approximately 50 million tons.

China has fulfilled its "double carbon" commitment with concrete results and set an example for promoting global climate governance, which has been widely recognized by the international community.

　　According to the World Meteorological Organization, 2023 will be the hottest year in the history of global meteorological records, 1.42 degrees higher than pre-industrial levels, approaching the extreme values ​​set by the Paris Agreement.

2023 is also a year of frequent natural disasters around the world, with tsunamis, droughts, and floods taking turns raging around the world.

These extreme and abnormal climate phenomena remind the world that global climate governance is urgent.

Climate change is a serious challenge faced by all mankind and requires cooperation from all countries in the world to deal with it.

From the first Berlin Climate Conference in 1995, to the signing of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, to the conclusion of the Paris Agreement at the Paris Climate Conference in 2015, China has always actively participated in global governance to address climate change.

In December 2023, the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference reached the "UAE Consensus" after difficult negotiations, which for the first time in history called on countries to "reduce their dependence on fossil fuels" in order to scientifically achieve net-zero emissions in 2050.

The "UAE Consensus" was hard-won, and China's important influence in it cannot be ignored.

　　As the world's two largest economies, China and the United States play a crucial role in promoting effective progress in global climate governance.

Last November, President Xi Jinping and President Biden met in San Francisco. China and the United States issued the "Sunnyland Statement on Strengthening Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis" and decided to launch the China-U.S. "Working Group on Strengthening Climate Action in the 2120s" and Consensus has been reached on energy transition, circular economy, climate finance and other aspects.

Sino-US climate cooperation has created prerequisites for the success of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference, and also provided important guidance for all parties involved to resolve differences and reach consensus.

　　The road to global climate governance is long and arduous, and China's green energy transformation mission is arduous.

Looking back on 2023, China has delivered a brilliant “climate answer sheet” to the world with practical actions.

In 2024, China will continue to firmly implement its "double carbon" commitment, demonstrate its responsibility as a major country, and work with the international community to promote global climate governance to a new level.