China sees the value of green diplomacy but can the world view it as an environmental leader?
- As China’s power and economy have grown, it has taken on more responsibility around carbon emissions, degradation and sustainability
- Beijing has been criticised over the pandemic and aggressive tactics but environmental leadership is an effective way to wield soft power
China has doubled down on its environmental diplomacy, making pledges on global issues such as climate change and biodiversity and projecting itself as a world leader.
Another landmark moment for China in the international environmental arena is in May, when the country is expected to host a summit in which the United Nations will try to set a global framework for the next decade to protect biodiversity.
It is hailed as the biggest biodiversity conference in a decade and as the host China is expected to take the lead in making a comprehensive and ambitious framework that promotes strong actions to combat the biodiversity crisis.
Over the past decade China has seen the value of environmental diplomacy and transformed itself from an environmental laggard to become a global leader in environmental governance, experts say.