China's pragmatism boosting global climate fight: expert

Aerial photo taken on Aug. 19, 2020 shows wind turbines at the Jiucaiping scenic area in southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)

"Taken together, these (Chinese) measures will form a '1+N' policy framework for delivering carbon peak and carbon neutrality, with a clearly-defined timetable, roadmap and blueprint," said Nairobi-based policy analyst Stephen Ndegwa.

The practical measures that China has adapted to lower greenhouse gas emissions have boosted global climate fight, a Kenyan expert has said.

Stephen Ndegwa, a Nairobi-based policy analyst, noted that unlike some major powers, China has eschewed the finger-pointing and blame game but has taken bold steps to accelerate low-carbon development.

"A snapshot of the last ten years for instance shows that China has phased out 120 million kilowatts of installed coal-fired power generation capacity," Ndegwa said in a commentary published by The Star last week.

He agreed with Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, who reiterated that tackling climate change requires solid commitment and concrete actions instead of empty slogans.

Aerial photo taken on July 22, 2021 shows a villager walking past a solar powered street lamp in Maobishan Village of Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua)

Ndegwa said that the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow, Scotland, should be an opportunity for rich nations to honor their financial pledges to developing countries to help them cope with climatic stresses.

According to Ndegwa, China has never dodged its responsibility to tackle climate change or environmental pollution amid rapid development.

He said China has constructed the first batch of wind and photovoltaic power stations with a capacity of about 100 million kilowatts, amid efforts to realize carbon neutrality before 2060.

Aerial photo taken on Feb. 14, 2021 shows a view of Huahai Park in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong)

China's commitment to the pursuit of ecological conservation and green development has been accompanied with actions, such as fostering "a green, low-carbon and circular economic system at a faster pace," controlling "energy-intensive and high-emission projects," and providing "financial incentives," the analyst expounded.

"Taken together, these (Chinese) measures will form a '1+N' policy framework for delivering carbon peak and carbon neutrality, with a clearly-defined timetable, roadmap and blueprint," he concluded.■