China calls for joint action in tackling climate change
CGTN
[]
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (M), Foreign Minister of France Jean-Yves Le Drian (L), and Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres (R), meet on the margins of the G20 summit in Osaka on Saturday. /CGTN Photo

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (M), Foreign Minister of France Jean-Yves Le Drian (L), and Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres (R), meet on the margins of the G20 summit in Osaka on Saturday. /CGTN Photo

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi called upon all parties to honor their commitments and take concrete actions in tackling climate change at a meeting involving China, France and the United Nations (UN) on Saturday.

The meeting, held on the sidelines of a summit of the Group of 20 major economies, was chaired by Wang and attended by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

After taking note of the recent Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services' Global Assessment Report as well as the special report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the three officials stressed the urgency of addressing both climate change and biodiversity loss during the meeting.

"China's carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP in 2018 were 45.8 percent lower than in 2005 and the share of non-fossil energy in energy consumption reached 14.3 percent," Wang said.

The country has officially launched a national carbon emissions trading system, laying a solid foundation for controlling greenhouse gas emissions, he added.

Wang also mentioned that Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed during the second Belt and Road Forum (BRF) that green should be the background color of the initiative.

The foreign minister highlighted the importance of strong beliefs, principles, urgent actions, as well as the international cooperation concerning global climate governance during the trilateral meeting, reiterating the leading role China plays in the sustainable use of the natural resources.

Le Drian said that France is willing to work with China to send a clear signal and push the international community to implement the Paris agreement.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he valued China's pivotal role in combating climate change and appreciated the country's efforts in offering nature-based solutions.