Zhang Jun Photo: Xinhua

In addressing climate change, what we need are firm commitments and continued actions. What we don't need are empty slogans, ever changing policies, luxury motorcades and entourage, irresponsibly exposing numerous people to infection, Zhang Jun, permanent representative of China to the UN, slapped US President Joe Biden's accusation on China regarding the climate issue.

Zhang's remarks were made after Biden, speaking at the end of the second day of the COP26 in Glasgow, lashed out at both Chinese and Russian leaders for their failure to turn up to the climate summit. 

Biden also said that China has walked away from the biggest issue of our time. 

In response, Zhang said that "the Chinese leader addressed the meeting to share China's solutions on climate change. The Chinese delegation attended the meeting in person. China has announced its carbon peak & neutrality targets, and released an action plan and policies. Our achievements are widely recognized."

China has been earnestly supporting climate action and we are not the one who withdrew from the Paris Agreement, said Zhang, noting that the "US however has backpedaled its climate policies many times. Instead of blame shifting, what it should do now is to shoulder responsibility and take concrete actions."

Many Western media made a big fuss about the absence of China, Russia and other countries at the meeting. They said their absence will affect climate goals.

"Leaders participating in the summit are mainly for political mobilization. But Chinese leaders have done enough political mobilization on the climate issues," said Wang Mou from the research center of urban and environment studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, who is also a member of Chinese delegation to COP26, during a recent online conference.

Wang said that President Xi has participated in multiple meetings on climate change and environmental protection, and made promises at international conferences. "Our leader's determination to push the climate change agenda is unquestionable."

Wang added that this meeting will focus on solving technological problems, and doesn't lack global political consensus or mobilization.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan recently referred to China as a significant outlier on climate action and said the US will continue pressing on that. 

Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that "developed countries generally set a timeframe of 40 to 70 years to move from carbon peaking to carbon neutrality while China, the largest developing country in the world, only gives itself 30 years."

China's carbon neutrality targets are fully consistent with the Paris Agreement goal of holding global average temperature increase to well below 2 C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels. They also demonstrate China's climate ambition and global leadership commensurate with its development stage and national realities, he noted. 

Global Times