Exclusive: Interview with China's special envoy for climate change

China's energy transition is becoming a major engine of economic growth while reinforcing the country's commitment to tackling climate change, according to Liu Zhenmin, China's special envoy for climate change.

In an interview with CGTN's Guan Xin, Liu said rapid advances in renewable energy technologies – including solar, wind and energy storage – have transformed the country's low-carbon transition into a key driver of development. 

He noted that the new energy sector has accounted for around 10% of China's GDP in recent years, a share he expects to continue rising over the next decade.

Liu's comments come after China announced its updated Nationally Determined Contributions in September 2025, setting new climate targets through 2035. Under the plan, China will continue strengthening emissions reduction efforts while significantly expanding renewable energy capacity. 

According to Liu, newly installed wind and solar capacity is expected to reach over six times the 2020 level by 2035, providing strong momentum for both economic growth and the country's climate objectives.

"The energy transition is not only an important response to climate change, but also an important source of China's future economic growth," Liu said.

Addressing growing international expectations for China to play a larger role in global climate finance, Liu stressed that China remains a developing country despite its economic progress and expanding clean energy industry.

He said international climate cooperation should continue to be based on North-South cooperation, with developed countries maintaining their responsibilities while China continues contributing through South-South cooperation. 

Although China's economy has grown substantially, Liu argued that the country's development status has not fundamentally changed and that it remains focused on achieving basic modernization by 2035.

At the same time, he said China will continue supporting international climate action by encouraging its new energy companies to expand overseas, helping developing countries build clean energy capacity through investment and technology cooperation.

Liu also called for new financing models to accelerate the global energy transition, noting that official development assistance is likely to remain constrained amid geopolitical tensions, slower global economic growth and other international challenges. Instead, he advocated greater participation from the private sector, expanded use of blended finance and stronger support from multilateral development banks to mobilize investment in developing countries.

On trade tensions surrounding Chinese clean technology exports, Liu warned they could carry broader political consequences and undermine the global energy transition by increasing costs and slowing the deployment of affordable clean technologies.

"There will be no winners if unilateral trade measures continue," Liu said, adding that China hopes to resolve differences through bilateral dialogue while maintaining cooperation on climate action.

Liu emphasized that climate change remains a global challenge requiring collaboration rather than confrontation. He said strengthening international cooperation, encouraging cross-border investment and promoting innovative financing mechanisms will be essential to achieving shared climate goals while supporting sustainable economic development.