UN chief lauds China's role in climate action

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday lauded China's role in the fight against climate change, encouraging the country to remain instrumental in this enhanced global ambition.

"We welcome the strong commitment of China to climate action. China is of course crucial given the dimensions of its economy," Guterres told reporters.

He noted that the commitments made in the Paris Agreement on climate change are not necessarily being fully met and that those commitments themselves are not enough to limit global temperature rise in this century below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, or even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

"We are not winning this race, climate change is still winning this race," he warned.

"China's role in this enhanced ambition is absolutely crucial and I count a lot on the dialogue and cooperation that was established with the Chinese government in this regard."

Guterres also lauded the role of the Group of 77 (G77) and China in promoting multilateralism and development on January 13.

"You have been a central pillar in the defense of multilateralism – and these are not easy times for multilateralism, and you have been absolutely crucial in making sure that development remains in the centrality of the action of the United Nations," Guterres told a handover ceremony of the G77 chairmanship from Ecuador to Egypt.

The two largest economies of the G77 – China and India – are strongly committed to the leadership in climate action, said Guterres. "At a moment when others are failing, I see the largest economies of the Group of 77 and China to be assuming the leadership in climate action to make sure that we don't suffer the dramatic and devastating impacts of climate change."

(Cover Photo: File)

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency