China's special representative on climate change affairs Xie Zhenhua stressed south-south climate cooperation, and expressed hopes that the ongoing United Nations (UN) climate talks here would generate substantial results addressing issues that concern developing countries and an unequivocal arrangement for implementing the Paris Agreement.
Xie made the remarks while addressing the high-level forum on south-south cooperation on climate change held in the China pavilion at COP 23 Wednesday.
Xie said as COP 23 was crucial to implementing the Paris Agreement and to consolidating mutual trust and multilateral processes, China hoped that substantial results would be achieved at the current climate talks to address issues that concern developing countries, including adaptation, funds, technology and capacity building.
Besides, an unequivocal arrangement on detailed plans to implement the Paris Agreement is also expected to be nailed down in Bonn, Xie said.
Apart from these trust-building actions, Xie also proposed "development for all" and "bridging cooperation" to strengthen international cooperation in the climate field.
"Developing countries, though at different stages of development, are all confronted with multiple challenges, ranging from economic growth, people's livelihood, poverty eradication, to environmental and climate protection," said the special representative.
Therefore, while carrying out north-south climate cooperation and leveraging funds offered by developed countries, developing countries can boost exchanges under south-south cooperation, sharing their best practices and policy measures against climate change, Xie proposed.
Recognizing the proactive roles of various international organizations, Xie said he hoped they would continue playing the bridging or binding roles in the fight against climate change.
Xie said, as a responsible developing country, China conscientiously takes on its international obligations that match both its development stage and actual capacity, and implements the Paris Agreement with concrete action.
To this end, China will carry forward actions including walking the promises it submitted concerning the nationally determined contribution, pursuing industrial restructuring, optimizing energy mix, promoting energy-conserving products, launching various low-carbon demonstration projects, and inaugurating the nationwide emission-trading scheme, among other actions.
"The efforts made to fulfill all these above mentioned targets count as significant contribution to the global endeavor to fight climate change, which requires not only tremendous efforts from the Chinese side, but also international cooperation," Xie said.
He further introduced China's efforts in helping developing countries cope with climate change under south-south cooperation.
He said, through donating energy conserving or renewable-energy facilities as well as climate change surveillance instruments, and promoting climate-friendly techniques, China has offered funds, technologies and capacity building to the least developed countries, small-island countries and African countries.
Since 2011, Chinese government has channeled 580 million yuan (about 85 million U.S. dollars) to help other developing countries to cope with climate change, through various initiatives ranging from low-carbon and adaptation projects to capacity building activities.
China has signed 32 MOUs with 28 developing countries on the donation of materials needed in battling climate change, including over 1.2 million energy-saving or solar-energy lamps, some 13,000 solar photo-voltaic power generating facilities, and over 10,000 clean stoves, among other donations. China also donated satellite monitoring facilities to help these countries with early warning of extreme weather.
Moreover, China helped train thousands of climate officials as well as technicians from more than 120 countries on five continents, according to Xie.
The 23rd Conference of Parties (COP23) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is being held in Bonn from Nov. 6 to 17.
