China will launch the first project under a leadership program that aims to cultivate leading climate talents for other developing countries in 2027, as the country continues to strengthen South-South cooperation on climate change and support developing nations in improving their climate governance capacity.
The announcement was made on Wednesday at the 14th High-level Forum on South-South Cooperation on Climate Change, held at the COP31 China Pavilion. Officially known as the 31st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP31 opened on Monday and will run through Nov 20.
The program is a flagship initiative led and initiated by China and implemented in cooperation with diverse international organizations, institutions, enterprises and universities to cultivate leading talents for other developing countries in formulating domestic climate governance policies and possessing a strong understanding of international coordination and cooperation, according to a media release from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
The ministry highlighted an open and diverse partner network as a prominent feature of the program.
At present, the United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the World Meteorological Organization, the International Renewable Energy Agency, Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization, Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD and Chinese tech giants Xiaomi, Tencent and Lenovo have confirmed their participation in the partner network, the release said.
The forum also introduced the "China South-South school on climate change" capacity-building system, a multilevel and wide-ranging capacity-building program for countries of the Global South. Based on China's experience in climate action and green, low-carbon and high-quality development, the school will provide training and policy exchanges in areas including climate mitigation, adaptation, carbon market mechanisms and climate finance, according to the ministry.
It said the South-South school will also organize field visits to help participants gain firsthand experience of China's green and climate-resilient development practices.
Addressing the event, Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng said countries of the Global South are bound by a shared future, and only through solidarity and cooperation can they achieve green development.
He called on members in the Global South to join hands to advance green development and work together to protect our planet, strengthen climate resilience and build a robust disaster prevention and mitigation network, as well as to beef up capacity building and lay a solid foundation for long-term climate action.
China will continue to uphold the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity, deepen South-South climate cooperation, and jointly write a new chapter of sustainable development for the Global South, Han said.
Huang Runqiu, China's minister of ecology and environment, said climate change is a common challenge facing all humanity and is closely linked to global sustainable development, security and prosperity.
As a member of the Global South, China will continue to support other developing countries within its capacity, share opportunities for low-carbon development, build climate-resilient communities and promote a clean, beautiful and prosperous future for the Global South, he added.
More than 250 representatives from China, Comoros, Antigua and Barbuda, Nigeria, Zambia and Ethiopia, as well as the UN, UNFCCC secretariat, WMO, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition and IRENA attended the forum, according to the ministry.
