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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Zhao Yingmin, vice minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment

Li Gao, director-general of the Department of Climate Change, Ministry of Ecology and Environment

Chairperson:

Xi Yanchun, spokesperson of the State Council Information Office

Date:

Nov. 27, 2019

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Xi Yanchun:

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to this press conference. This year's United Nations Climate Change Conference will open soon. Today, the report "China's Policies and Actions for Addressing Climate Change (2019)" was officially published. To help you gain a better understanding of this, we invited Mr. Zhao Yingmin, vice minister of ecology and environment, to give us an introduction to the work and answer some of your questions. Also present at the conference is Mr. Li Gao, director-general of the ministry's department of climate change. 

Now, I'll give the floor to Mr. Zhao Yingmin.

Zhao Yingmin:

Journalist friends, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to the press conference on the report "China's Policies and Actions for Addressing Climate Change (2019)." On behalf of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to you for your support as well as your long-term interest in China's actions on climate change.

China has always attached great importance to addressing climate change. President Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed that China's efforts to address climate change is not because others have asked us to do it, but is instead self-motivated. He also noted that addressing climate change is necessary for China's sustainable development, and is our way of assuming responsibility in the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. At the national conference on ecological and environmental protection, he said that we must actively implement the national strategy on addressing climate change, and promote the creation of a win-win, equitable and balanced governance mechanism on climate change. In July this year, Premier Li Keqiang presided over a meeting of the leading group of climate change, energy saving and emissions reduction, and planned major work to address climate change. At the fourth plenary session of the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, which concluded recently, it was decided that we must improve the legal system and technical guidance for green production and green consumption, promote market-oriented innovation for green technologies, and do even more to promote green, circular and low-carbon development.

Over the past years, addressing climate change has been our major method to promote ecological progress, high-quality economic development, and the building of a beautiful China. A series of actions have been taken. Since 2018, guided by Xi Jinping's thinking on promoting ecological progress, governments at all levels and all departments under the central authorities have implemented plans made at the national conference on ecological and environmental protection, worked together and achieved new progress in the efforts to address climate change.

After reviewing our work on climate change, we formulated the report "China's Policies and Actions for Addressing Climate Change (2019)." It's the 11th annual report we have released since 2009. This year's version covers eight topics: mitigating climate change, adapting to climate change, formulating plans and establishing mechanisms, basic capacities, engaging extensive public participation, playing an active role in global climate governance, enhancing international cooperation and communication, and the basic position and views at the upcoming COP-25 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The report comprehensively reviews China's policies and actions on climate change, and showcases China's achievements in the past year. It will help you get a clearer picture of the latest progress made as a result of China's actions on climate change.

In the past year, China has continued to address climate change. A series of policies and measures have been taken to curb greenhouse gas emissions, thus achieving a further reduction in carbon emission intensity. We have continued to adapt to address climate change and have improved various mechanisms. The carbon market has been built in an orderly manner and public awareness of the need to address climate change has been enhanced.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government has played an active and constructive role in global climate governance. Under the UNFCCC's principles of equity, common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, China has worked with various parties to promote progress in global climate governance, facilitated the negotiation on the Paris Agreement Work Programme to achieve positive results, and contributed Chinese wisdom and proposals at the U.N. Climate Change Action Summit. China has intensified communication and cooperation with various sides to address climate change, continued to do its best to help developing countries, deepened South-South cooperation to address climate change, remained committed to multilateralism, and continued to inject new vitality into global climate governance and global ecological progress. 

As a next step, we will firmly implement the national strategy on addressing climate change, efficiently curb greenhouse gas emissions, and actively adapt to climate change. We will also promote green and low-carbon development, play an active part in global climate governance, and ensure that our work on climate change will better help guide high-quality development, facilitate pollution treatment, and promote ecological progress.

The COP-25 of the UNFCCC will open soon. China will continue to play a constructive role, safeguard multilateralism, and do our best to promote the success of the conference.

Now, I'd like to answer some questions from the media with my colleague. Thank you.