Germany urges China to take greater responsibility on climate, such as funding for poor countries
- Mainland China, which accounts for about half of the world’s total annual coal consumption, needs to do more in terms of climate commitments, German envoy says
- Europe’s largest economy is contributing an extra US$2.2 billion to a global Green Climate Fund to speed the transition to low-emission sustainable development
Germany is urging China to be more ambitious in building renewable energy and helping to finance climate protection efforts in poorer countries.
Mainland China, which accounts for about half of the world’s total annual coal consumption, is increasingly treated as an important partner in international discussions, but needs to do more in terms of its climate commitments, according to Germany’s Special Envoy for International Climate Action Jennifer Morgan.
“Xi Jinping has said they are now a global player – with that status comes responsibility,” she said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. Recent conversations with Chinese officials have centred on what more they can do, including becoming a donor to multilateral funds, she added.
“Those were good, solid, constructive conversations, but not easy,” Morgan said, who travels to mainland China regularly. The country is Germany’s biggest trade partner.
Europe’s largest economy announced on Wednesday that it will contribute an additional €2 billion (US$2.2 billion) to an international Green Climate Fund designed to speed the transition to low-emission sustainable development, the biggest single donation in the fund’s history.