President reassures green efforts

Nation to provide more public goods to global community for enhanced ties

In its latest bid to underline the country's commitment to tackling climate change and protecting the environment, China aims to further advance sustainable development worldwide and will actively participate in global environmental governance.

The goals were announced by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, as he presided over a study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Friday.

The study session focused on ecological protection across the country, and it took place after Xi attended two recent high-level meetings on climate change.

In particular, Xi, also China's president, proposed the concept of a community of life for man and nature while delivering a speech via video link at the Leaders' Summit on Climate on April 22.

At the Friday study session, Wang Jinnan, head of the Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, elaborated on relevant issues and proposed work suggestions for discussion.

Xi said China should further improve South-South cooperation－which means teamwork among the vast number of developing countries－and cooperate with neighboring countries in this regard.

In a manifestation of China's role as a major country with a great sense of duty, China is expected to provide more public goods for the global community, Xi said.

With regard to developing countries, China will provide them with financial and technical support "within its capacity", offer assistance in improving their environmental governance and work with them together in building a green Belt and Road, an official release on the group study on Saturday quoted Xi as saying.

When elaborating on China's principles in this field for enshrining multilateralism, Xi highlighted the need to secure common but differentiated responsibilities, champion justice and base countries' duties on their respective capabilities.

This year, China will host the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the Convention on Biological Diversity in October, and the year also marks the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period.

At the Friday session, Xi stressed the need to maintain strategic resolve in developing an ecological civilization and achieving modernization featuring human-nature harmony.

Major biodiversity conservation projects will be launched, and the country will work to make COP15 a success, he added.

The 14th Five-Year Plan period is a vital phase for China's ecological conservation drive that aims for overall green transformation of economic and social development through coordinated progress in pollution reduction and carbon emissions cuts, Xi said.

He urged more efforts to accelerate the adjustments of structures in four key areas－industries, energy, transportation and land use.

"High-energy consumption and high-emission projects that do not meet requirements must be resolutely taken down," Xinhua News Agency quoted Xi as saying.

Peaking carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality are a solemn commitment to the world and are also a profound economic and social transformation that is by no means easy, Xi said.

China will work on a system for better realizing the value of ecological products so that the efforts for ecological environmental protection and restoration can be awarded a reasonable return, and moves damaging the environment will be punished correspondingly, he added.

He called on Party officials and governments at all levels to set clear timetables and road maps to push economic and social development based on efficient use of resources and green, low-carbon growth.