COP28: China is serious about its clean energy efforts, says US climate change envoy John Kerry
- In lead-up to UN climate conference, Kerry tells forum his talks with Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua in California this week yielded ‘positive results’
- Of China’s growth in renewable energy, Kerry says: ‘If we can harness that deployment, you will automatically begin to make emissions come down’
At the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore on Friday, Kerry also said he felt “hopeful” about prospects for a major international climate change conference in three weeks.
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He acknowledged that China, despite its coal-dependent power system, was building more renewable energy plants than the rest of the world combined, echoing reports of the country shoring up its position as the world leader in renewable power.
“The Chinese delegation and Xie Zhenhua, who I’ve known for 25 years or so – he’s my counterpart, their climate envoy – they were serious,” Kerry said, adding that the results of their meeting were expected to be released over the next few days.
Xie, a veteran diplomat, was reappointed to his role as China’s special climate envoy in 2021, after holding positions in the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Environmental Protection Administration. The 74-year-old will reportedly step down in December after the COP28 talks in Dubai.
“We have some tough conversations, we have a few moments where, as in any negotiations, you think it’s all despair and not going to get there,” Kerry said, adding that people should “wait and see” on whether the two sides come to an accord on China’s coal power development amid a global decline in coal use.
