On the 19th, during the climate conference held in Baku, China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued a call for cities around the world to step up international cooperation in the realms of early warning systems and climate change adaptation, with the aim of jointly confronting the pressing climate challenges.
On the 19th, during the climate conference held in Baku, China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued a call for cities around the world to step up international cooperation in the realms of early warning systems and climate change adaptation, with the aim of jointly confronting the pressing climate challenges.
At a side event titled "Proactively Preventing Climate Risks: Building Low-Carbon Resilient Cities" which took place during the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, government officials and experts from both China and abroad engaged in in-depth discussions regarding global climate impacts, risk prevention, and the development of low-carbon resilient cities.
Zhao Yingmin, who leads the Chinese delegation at COP29 and serves as the Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment, spotlighted China's policies and practices in urban responses to climate change. He firmly stated that addressing climate change is a shared global obligation. All stakeholders ought to reinforce early warning systems for climate impacts, drive the global green low-carbon transition, establish urban climate partnerships, and intensify international cooperation among cities, thereby constructing a more equitable global governance framework for climate-related matters.
Selwyn Hart, the Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action, concurred with China's position. He pointed out that more than half of the world's population resides in cities, which are positioned at the vanguard of the battle against the climate crisis. To effectively surmount this crisis, all levels of international society must cooperate closely through dialogue, especially at the local level.
Mark Watts, the Executive Director of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, commented on the remarkable speed and scale of China's urban climate actions, which have reaped substantial economic and social rewards. As a frontrunner in climate change mitigation efforts, Chinese cities are anticipated to assume a leading role and promote the sharing of experiences and collaborative endeavors among cities across the globe.