China's steps on switch to renewable sources applauded

BARCELONA — China is moving toward a renewable energy transition as its government has been aware that reaching the maximum production of fossil fuels requires finding alternative sources of energy, said Jordi Sole, a Spanish climate change expert and professor at the University of Barcelona.

"That can be seen from China's recent policies and actions," Sole said in an interview regarding the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP28, and China's role in fighting climate change.

Major economies, he said, are the main emitters of greenhouse gases, and any action they take toward transitioning to renewable energy could have significant impacts.

In 2022, China's carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP dropped by more than 51 percent from its 2005 level, according to figures from the 2023 annual report on China's policies and actions to address climate change.

The report, released by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment recently, revealed that by the end of last year, the proportion of nonfossil energy consumption had reached 17.5 percent in China.

Whatever successful action China takes regarding green transition, will "act as an example for the rest of the world on both technological and socioeconomic level", Sole said.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday that the UN positively evaluates China's efforts and important contributions to promoting peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality.

COP28 is crucial as it aims to take stock of the progress made on the Paris Agreement and dramatically mitigate the negative effects of climate change around the world, Sole said.

COP28 will also focus on accelerating the transition to clean energy sources, drastically cutting greenhouse gas emissions before 2030, and providing poorer countries and developing nations with the necessary funds to tackle climate change, Sole said.

Sole said the Dubai gathering will show "whether we're really moving toward strong commitments or whether it's a case of business as usual and, as always, we resign ourselves to the worst-case climate change scenarios".

Concrete actions

"We need a clear commitment backed with concrete actions addressing what needs to be done," he said.

With the total installed capacity of renewable energies reaching 1,213 gigawatts in 2022, China has become a global leader in utilizing green and low-carbon energy sources.

The country has ranked first in the world for eight consecutive years in the production and sales of new energy vehicles.

By the end of June this year, the number of new energy vehicles nationwide reached 16.2 million.

China, as a global leader in renewable energy expansion, is a powerhouse that has the ability to triple renewable power generation globally, said COP28 President Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber.

"China is key in the decarbonization of the energy we use today," he said, noting that more than three-quarters of the world's solar panels, around 60 percent of the world's wind turbines, and three-quarters of the lithium-ion batteries on this planet come from China.

China is not just making what the world needs for the energy transition, its industrial strength is also bringing down costs for every nation, said Al Jaber.

Xinhua