CPPCC member: China to work with other nations to tackle climate change

China will strengthen the early warning system for extreme weather events and work with other nations to tackle climate change, Zhang Xingying, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said on Monday. 

Zhang, also deputy head of the Department of Science, Technology and Climate Change of the China Meteorological Administration, made the remarks at the "Members' Corridor" on the sidelines of the Two Sessions.

2023 is the hottest year in global temperature data records going back to 1850. Climate change has deeply influenced natural systems and human society, and it is a challenge that all humanity faces, said Zhang. 

Zhang added that China is a member country of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and that Chinese scientists have been elected as co-chair of IPCC Working Group I (WGI) for five consecutive times, taking an active role in tackling climate change. 

China now ranks first in renewable energy installations and contributes one-fourth of the increased area of afforestation in the world. China is the only country in the world that operates four near-Earth orbit meteorological satellites simultaneously – covering dawn, morning, afternoon and oblique orbits and provides real-time earth observation data to 129 countries.

"In the face of more and more frequent extreme events, the early warning system is the most effective way. With only 24 hours of advance warning, disaster losses can be reduced by 30 percent. Early warning not only saves lives but also provides at least a 10-fold return on investment," said Zhang.

China has gradually established a national early warning system since 2015. It also provides technical support and assistance for disaster early warning in Asia and countries along the Belt and Road.

"Climate change is a global challenge of universal concerns. We must uphold the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind and work together to address climate change," said Zhang.