Beijing’s high-level power brokers start steering China towards Xi’s carbon-neutral goal

Vice-premiers, ministers and economic stars appear at first plenary meeting of group tackling peak emissions and carbon neutrality

Officials deemed crucial to shaping the country’s narrative on climate change action and for finding common ground with other countries

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Chinese vice-premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, presides over a meeting of a leading group of the central inspection on ecological and environmental protection in Beijing on May 28, 2021. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 6:00am, 1 Jun 2021Updated: 6:44am, 1 Jun 2021

China has set up a high-powered leading group on carbon neutrality, underscoring the importance Beijing gives the climate issue.

Chaired by Han Zheng, China’s first vice-premier and a member of the powerful Politburo Standing Committee, the high-level group tackling peak emissions and carbon neutrality held its first plenary meeting on Wednesday in Beijing, kicking off efforts to turn President Xi Jinping’s 2060 pledge into reality.

China has vowed to reach net-zero emissions by 2060 with emissions peaking no later than 2030. The pledge from the world’s largest carbon emitter last year was welcomed by the international community.

The world is closely watching China’s actions because of their huge bearing on global efforts to arrest climate change. Climate change is also widely regarded as an icebreaker issue on which the United States and China can work together to reset a volatile but pivotal relationship.

While China has not officially announced who is in the leading group, sitting on the podium at the meeting were some of Xi’s most trusted aides including: Liu He, Xi’s financial and economic brain, a Politburo member and the vice-premier in charge of science and innovation; State Councillor Wang Yong, who is in charge of state-owned enterprises; State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi; and He Lifeng, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s top economic planner.