Reports that China obstructed discussions on tackling climate change at Group of 20 (G20) meetings last week in India are "completely inconsistent with the facts", China's foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
After three days of discussions on issues like cutting emissions and fossil fuel use, as well as climate finance to support poorer nations, the group of major nations failed to issue a joint communique or deliver any new pledges.
The group acknowledged in a statement after their talks that measures to address climate change were "insufficient".
Members of a European delegation said that China and oil-rich Saudi Arabia had backed away from making commitments at the meetings but China rejected that.
The foreign ministry said in a statement it "regrets" the failure to reach an agreement at the meetings, which was caused by "geopolitical issues" brought up by other countries "for no reason".
China, which accounts for more than half of global coal production, has bristled at calls to do more to cut greenhouse gases, saying its historical and per capita CO2 emissions are still lower than those of the United States.
The foreign ministry said the G20 should build political consensus among members and "fully respect the different development stages and national conditions of countries".
Parts of China, including its capital, have been battered this week by the heaviest rain in 140 years, the Beijing Meteorological Service said, the latest bout of extreme weather from around the world to raise fears about the pace of global warming.
China has pledged to bring its emissions to a peak before the end of the decade and become carbon-neutral by 2060.
But despite building record levels of new clean energy capacity, its fossil fuel consumption has continued to rise, with no plans to start cutting coal use until 2026.
U.S. climate envoy John Kerry visited Beijing last month in a bid to restore trust between the two sides and build momentum for the COP28 climate talks in Dubai at the end of the year.
© Thomson Reuters 2023.
18 Comments
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Bordeaux
China, smile in your face and stab you in the back, or commit an unsavory act then deny, deny, deny. If spoiled China was a person, it would be an overweight (oxymoron) dark haired Donald Trump.
dagon
These Gujarati workers look very enthusiastic about reaping the abundant benefits that flow from the G20's SDG proposals that have a direct and profound effect on their lives.
As the G20 leaders fly in private aircraft and utilize luxuriously conditioned accommodations, sequester their and their corporate cronies stupendous wealth in tax shelters unavailable to these workers, and lecture them about climate austerity.
elephant200
It was all America's faults, Donald Trump withdrawn from thar treaty does not means Biden administration is sincerely committed with that principal, they are no differences. America just don't want to do their part of saving the earth climate, they are just sneaky slowly stay out of their obligations to clean up the earth they made pollution for two centuries.
Don't blame everything from China.
TaiwanIsNotChina
But we can be clear that China isn't developing anymore and shouldn't receive one red cent in transfer payments.
Blacklabel
this word obstruction sure is misused a lot when people/countries dont get their way because others dont agree with what they want to do.
ian
Seems just the wording of reuters
WA4TKG
china always denies everything while doing whatever it wants.
isabelle
Shame on you, China. The world simply can't wait any longer on climate change. Can you not see the damage it is causing even in your own country, right in front of your eyes?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/02/beijing-reports-heaviest-rain-140-years-china-g20-climate-talks
China, and all the other foot-draggers (including Japan) need to get real on this right now. Vested interests and rent-seeking are still dominating, and time is running out. COP 28 is even being run by the head of a UAE oil company for pity's sake.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/18/middleeast/cop-28-dubai-greenwashing-climate/index.html
I applaud Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, as it really is making a difference on clean energy. There are a whole host of projects ongoing thanks to this. Despite the US' hugely polarized society, I'm sure that history will look back on this act as a major milestone in saving the planet.
OssanAmerica
Based on China's past and present behavior, the credibility of any allegation or claim concerning China increases significantly whenever China denies it.
RichardPearce
Lots of people are projecting the bad behaviors of the country who's citizens have a carbon footprint over twice the size of China's citizens.
And given that China has, under actual construction, as many solar energy projects as the US has under construction, in the planning process, or just announced by politicians trying to greenwash their high carbon footprint policies, and, to use the phrasing America's PR industry has promoted, approving new solar plants at the rate of THREE a week, is actually on a straight line to meeting its decarbonization goals, unlike the country who's prolific consumption of fossil fuels and active cover up and denial of the problem of global warming has us now in the era of global boiling and on our way to the era of global baking.
RichardPearce
If the US had as many solar power plants as China, 5% of its electricity would be solar. If Americans cut their electricity use to the same level as Chinese, and had as many solar power plants as China, 10% of its electricity would be solar.
And yet the American PR shouting points are that China is the problem.
Do you believe the facts, or the American spin?
elephant200
@RichardPearce Didn't you know the American politicians said Chinese solar panels were a threat to their date security? It might take 100 plus years of time for them to produce "Made in USA" or "Made in whatever country except China" to fullfill the solar energy they needed. So it was America her own faults causing the delay and world climate problems!
elephant200
China's past and present behavior, the credibility of any allegation or claim concerning China increases significantly whenever China denies it.
Oh indeed and so do they(the Chinese), Based on usual America's exceptionism whenever there is an accusation on America behaviour, the Chinese and her allies believe significantly whenever she denies it. Then what is left for discussion? Nothing, we should just walk out the site after shouting at others!
TaiwanIsNotChina
The US isn't practicing diplomacy by making foreign officials wait in hallways to maybe see the correct counterpart.
starpunk
No, China isn't completely at fault and Tramptrump withdrew the US from the treaty because he's a traitor who kissed dictator derriere, Chinese, NK and especially Russian. He always lied about climate change being a 'myth' but then everything he says is a damn LIE. He's a vile evil fascist antichrist who can't tell the truth about anything.
stormcrow
Pay now or pay much more later. We’re all in this together.
theFu
The country generates more solar energy than all other countries combined, but burns half the planet’s coal. China. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jul/06/china-clean-energy-revolution-coal-power
China is deflecting with raw numbers when percentages are what matter. China burns so much coal that it makes their "green energy" efforts nearly worthless.
China generates about 2x the power than the USA, so anything they do good or bad impacts the world. If they don't want to discuss solutions, that also impacts the world.
Let's just say, China isn't Iceland, though these stories want people to think they are. The USA definitely isn't leading in this area, thanks to Trump. Biden has been pushing renewal power generation since he got into office. wind, solar, off-shore wind, wave are each being pushed.