China has made remarkable achievements in energy transition, and its responsibility as a major country has been demonstrated in promoting global climate governance

On March 5, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council, on behalf of the State Council, delivered a government work report to the Second Session of the 14th National People's Congress. He said in the report that in the past year, China has further promoted the construction of a beautiful China, strengthened the governance of ecological and environmental protection, accelerated the green transformation of the development mode, and actively participated in and promoted global climate governance. Since 2020, when China put forward the "dual carbon" goal, it has unswervingly fulfilled its commitments, accelerated the transformation of its energy structure, and worked with the international community to make positive contributions to the fight against climate change, demonstrating its mission and responsibility as a responsible major country.

In 2023, China made remarkable achievements in renewable energy development, accelerating the global clean energy transition. With the smooth transition of epidemic prevention and control, China's economy ushered in a steady recovery last year, and electricity consumption also increased year-on-year. The country's cumulative installed power generation capacity 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 was about 610 million kilowatts, a year-on-year increase of 55.2%, the installed capacity of wind power was about 440 million kilowatts, a year-on-year increase of 20.7%, and the proportion of coal-fired power capacity fell to less than 40% for the first time. The trade-off between renewable energy and coal-fired power capacity means that green renewables are increasingly becoming the main force of China's electricity supply. Moreover, China's new renewable energy capacity accounts for more than half of the world's new 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 scientific and technological innovation. In recent years, China's support for green energy technology research and development has been among the highest in the world. As early as 2020, China accounted for a quarter of the world's public spending on energy technology research and development. In 2023, China's total investment in the field of new energy will reach US$676 billion, equivalent to 38% of the total global investment and 94% of the total 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 and high-speed development, and the social demand for electricity is large, so it is also facing more difficult energy transition challenges than developed countries in Europe and the United States. However, China is not only fully committed to accelerating its own energy transition, but also actively helping other countries achieve green and low-carbon development. China produces 70% of the world's key components such as photovoltaic modules, wind turbines, and gearboxes. China's photovoltaic and wind power products reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 570 million tons per year for developed countries, accounting for about 41% of the world's carbon emission reductions from renewable energy in the same period. In addition, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, in 2023, China's new energy vehicle production will be 9.443 million units, and 1.773 million units will be exported, reducing carbon emissions for the world by about 50 million tons. China has fulfilled its "dual carbon" commitment with solid achievements, set an example for promoting global climate governance, and has been widely recognized by the international community.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, 2023 will be the hottest year on global meteorological record, 1.42 degrees above pre-industrial levels and approaching the extremes set by the Paris Agreement. 2023 is also a year of frequent natural disasters around the world, with tsunamis, droughts, and floods raging around the world. These extreme anomalous weather phenomena remind the world that global climate governance is urgent. Climate change is a serious challenge facing all mankind and requires all countries in the world to work together to address it. From the first Berlin climate conference in 1995, to the signing of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, to the Paris Agreement in 2015, China has always actively participated in global governance to address climate change. In December 2023, COP28 negotiated the "UAE Consensus", calling on countries to "reduce their dependence on fossil fuels" in order to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 by 2050. The UAE Consensus was not easy to come by, and China's important influence in it cannot be overlooked.

As the world's two largest economies, China and the United States play a crucial role in promoting effective progress in global climate governance. In November last year,practiceNear-flatThe President and President Biden met in San Francisco, and China and the United States issued the Sunshine Country Statement on Strengthening Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis, decided to launch the "Enhanced Climate Action Working Group in the 2020s" between China and the United States, and reached consensus on energy transition, circular economy, climate finance, etc. U.S.-China climate cooperation has created the prerequisites for the success of COP28 and provided important guidance for all parties to resolve their differences and reach consensus.

There is a long way to go in global climate governance, and China's green energy transformation is an arduous task. 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 fulfill its carbon peaking and carbon neutrality commitments, demonstrate its responsibility as a major country, and work with the international community to push global climate governance to a new level.