China’s foreign ministry stated on Wednesday that claims that it interfered with negotiations on combating climate change during Group of 20 (G20) meetings last week in India are “completely inconsistent with the facts.”
China denies reports G20 climate discussions: The group of big nations failed to release a joint declaration or provide any new pledges after three days of deliberations on topics like reducing emissions and fossil fuel consumption as well as climate funding to benefit poorer nations.
Following their discussions, the group issued a statement acknowledging that the actions taken to combat climate change were “insufficient”.
Chinese officials denied claims made by members of a European delegation that China and oil-rich Saudi Arabia had reneged on their agreements during the discussions.
The inability to reach an agreement during the meetings, according to the foreign ministry, was brought on by “geopolitical issues” that other nations raised “without cause,” it said in a statement.
China, which produces more than half of the world’s coal, has resisted efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions further, claiming that its historical and per-person CO2 emissions are still lower than those of the US.
The G20 should foster political agreement among its participants, according to the foreign ministry, and “fully respect the different development stages and national conditions of countries.”
Unprecedented Rainfall Hits China Amidst Climate Concerns: US Climate Envoy’s Efforts for COP28 Meetings
The Beijing Meteorological Service said this week that parts of China, including its capital, have experienced the worst rain in 140 years. This latest occurrence of extreme weather from around the world has stoked concerns about the rate of global warming.
Prior to the end of the decade, China has promised to peak its emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. However, despite adding unprecedented amounts of new clean energy capacity, its usage of fossil fuels has increased, and there are no plans to start reducing coal use before 2026.
In an effort to reestablish confidence between the two parties and generate momentum for the COP28 climate meetings in Dubai at the end of the year, US climate envoy John Kerry travelled to Beijing last month.