Build a community of human and natural life together

—Speech at the Leaders Climate Summit

(22 April 2021, Beijing)

President of the People's Republic of China  Xi Jinping

Dear President Biden,

Dear colleagues:

  happy to attend the Leaders Climate Summit on Earth Day , thank President Biden for the invitation. I would like to take this opportunity to have an in-depth exchange of views with you on the issue of climate change, discuss strategies for addressing the challenges of climate change, and seek a way for the harmonious coexistence of man and nature.

  Since human beings entered the age of industrial civilization, while creating huge material wealth, they have also Accelerating the grabbing of natural resources, breaking the balance of the earth's ecological system, the deep-seated contradictions between man and nature are increasingly emerging. In recent years, climate change, loss of biodiversity, intensified desertification, and frequent extreme climate events have brought severe challenges to human survival and development. The continuous spread of the new crown pneumonia epidemic has made the economic and social development of various countries worse. In the face of unprecedented difficulties in global environmental governance, the international community must, with unprecedented ambition and action, have the courage to take responsibility and work together to build a community of life between man and nature.

  ——Insist on people and nature Harmonious symbiosis. "Everything is born in harmony with it, and every thing is nourished in its own way." Nature is the cradle of all living things, including human beings, and the basic condition for human survival and development. Nature has nurtured and nurtured human beings. Human beings should take nature as the root, respect nature, conform to nature, and protect nature. Disrespecting nature and violating the laws of nature will only lead to natural revenge. Nature has been systematically destroyed, and human survival and development have become water without sources and trees without roots. We must protect the natural and ecological environment like protecting our eyes, and promote the formation of a new pattern of harmonious coexistence between man and nature.

  ——Insist on green development. Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. To protect the ecological environment is to protect the productive forces, and to improve the ecological environment is to develop the productive forces. This is a simple truth. We must abandon the development model that damages or even destroy the ecological environment, and abandon the short-sighted practice of sacrificing the environment for temporary development. It is necessary to conform to the general direction of contemporary scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, seize the huge development opportunities brought about by green transformation, and take innovation as the driving force to vigorously promote the transformation and upgrading of economic, energy and industrial structures, so that a good ecological environment will become the key to sustainable global economic and social development. support.

  ——Insist on system governance. Mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, grass and sand are inseparable ecosystems. To protect the ecological environment, it is not possible to treat a headache and a foot pain. According to the inherent laws of the ecosystem, we should consider all elements of the natural ecology as a whole, so as to achieve the goal of enhancing the circulation capacity of the ecosystem and maintaining the ecological balance.

  ——Putting people first. The ecological environment is related to the well-being of people in all countries. We must fully consider people's yearning for a better life, their expectations for a good environment, and their responsibilities to future generations, and explore synergies between protecting the environment, developing the economy, creating jobs, and eliminating poverty. Increase efficiency, strive to achieve social fairness and justice in the process of green transformation, and increase people's sense of gain, happiness and security in all countries.

  ——Insist on multilateralism. We must adhere to the principles of international law, fairness and justice, and effective action, safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, and follow the goals and objectives of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Paris Agreement. Principles, strive to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; strengthen their own actions, deepen partnerships, improve cooperation levels, and learn from each other for mutual benefit and win-win results in the new journey of global carbon neutrality. We must work together, not accusing each other; we must persevere, and do not change the order; we must keep our promises, and do not break our promises.

  China welcomes the US to return to the multilateral climate governance process. China and the US have just released the Joint Statement on Addressing the Climate Crisis. China looks forward to working with the international community, including the US, to advance global environmental governance.

  —adhere to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities is the cornerstone of global climate governance. Developing countries face multiple challenges such as fighting the epidemic, developing the economy, and responding to climate change. We should fully recognize the contribution of developing countries to climate change, and take care of their special difficulties and concerns. Developed countries should show greater ambition and actions, and at the same time help developing countries improve their ability and resilience to deal with climate change, provide developing countries with financial, technological, capacity building and other support, avoid setting up green trade barriers, and help them accelerate green development. Low carbon transition.

   Colleagues!

  Chinese civilization has always advocated the unity of man and nature, the law of nature, the pursuit of harmony between man and man Harmonious coexistence with nature. China has written the concept of ecological civilization and the construction of ecological civilization into the "Constitution of the People's Republic of China" and incorporated it into the overall layout of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Guided by the idea of ecological civilization, China implements the new development concept, takes the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development as the guide, takes the green and low-carbon development of energy as the key, and adheres to the ecological priority, green and low-carbon development path.

  Last year, I officially announced that China will strive to achieve carbon peaks by 2030, Be carbon neutral by 2060. This is a major strategic decision made by China based on the responsibility to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and the inherent requirements of achieving sustainable development. China's commitment to realize the time from carbon peak to carbon neutrality is far shorter than the time taken by developed countries, and China needs to make arduous efforts. China has integrated carbon peaking and carbon neutrality into the overall layout of ecological civilization construction, and is formulating a carbon peaking action plan, carrying out extensive and in-depth carbon peaking actions, and supporting qualified places, key industries, and key enterprises to take the lead in peaking. China will strictly control coal power projects, strictly control the growth of coal consumption during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, and gradually reduce it during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period. In addition, China has decided to accept the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol to strengthen the control of non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gases, and will also launch the online trading of the national carbon market.

  As a participant, contributor and leader in the construction of global ecological civilization, China Resolutely practice multilateralism, and strive to build a fair, reasonable and win-win global environmental governance system. China will host the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in October this year, and will work with all parties to push global biodiversity governance to a new level and support the 26th signing of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The meeting achieved positive results. Upholding the concept of "teaching a man to fish", China has done its best to help developing countries improve their ability to cope with climate change through various forms of South-South pragmatic cooperation. From climate remote sensing satellites in Africa, to low-carbon demonstration zones in Southeast Asia, to energy-saving lamps in small island countries, the achievements of China's South-South cooperation on climate change are visible, tangible and effective. The Chinese side also regards cooperation in the field of ecological civilization as the key content of the joint construction of the "Belt and Road", and has launched a series of green action initiatives, taking a series of measures such as green infrastructure, green energy, green transportation, and green finance to continue to benefit participants in the joint construction of the "Belt and Road". peoples of all countries.

   Colleagues!

  "Together, nothing can be done." Climate Change Belt The challenge to human beings is realistic, severe and long-term. However, I firmly believe that as long as we think in one place, work hard in one place, help each other and help each other, human beings will surely be able to cope with the challenges of the global climate and environment, and leave a clean and beautiful world to future generations.

  Thank you all.