January 26 marks the “International Day of Clean Energy,” established by a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2023. Liu Zhenmin, China's Special Envoy for Climate Change Affairs, recently stated in an exclusive interview with People's Daily Online at the Blue Hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that China has always been a steadfast practitioner and significant contributor to global green development. China will continue to work with all countries to strengthen international cooperation on climate change, support the global transition to green and low-carbon development, and jointly build a clean and beautiful world.

Liu Zhenmin pointed out that as global challenges continue to emerge in today's world, China has put forward the Global Governance Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the principles of sovereign equality, adherence to international rule of law, practice of multilateralism, advocacy of people-centered development, and focus on action-oriented approaches, thereby offering further Chinese solutions for strengthening and improving global governance.

“The proposal of the Global Governance Initiative is highly timely, and its core concepts genuinely reflect the problems and challenges facing global governance today,” Liu Zhenmin emphasized. The initiative sends a clear message of China's unwavering support for multilateralism, firm commitment to the international system with the United Nations at its core, and the international order based on international law. It holds significant importance in countering unilateralism, protectionism, and hegemony.

In November 2025, the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) convened in Belém, Brazil. This marked the first climate conference where the United States did not send a government delegation. During the conference, China upheld multilateralism and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, working with all parties to achieve multiple outcomes. These included effectively safeguarding the institutional arrangements of the Paris Agreement, particularly the Nationally Determined Contributions mechanism; incorporating provisions against unilateral measures into the multilateral climate process for the first time; and deciding to launch negotiations next year on establishing a just transition mechanism.

Liu Zhenmin stated that climate change is a common challenge facing all humanity. COP30 explored how to prevent unilateralism from undermining global climate governance and reminded all countries, especially developed nations, that unilateralism and protectionism will exact a heavy price, increasing the cost of energy transition both domestically and globally.

“Over the past five years, China has made historic contributions to innovation and development in new energy,” Liu stated. China's large-scale development and utilization of renewable energy have driven down costs to levels affordable for most countries, playing a significant role in advancing the global green transition.

China has consistently been a steadfast practitioner and major contributor to global green development, with the “green content” of its economic growth continuously increasing. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China built the world's largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system, raising the share of renewable energy in installed power generation capacity from 40% to around 60%. As the world's largest energy producer and consumer, China has pledged to strive to reach peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.

In recent years, China's wind and solar energy advancements have benefited both itself and the world. Over the past decade, China has helped reduce the average cost per kilowatt-hour of global wind and solar power projects by 60% and 80%, respectively. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China's exported wind and solar products cumulatively reduced carbon emissions in other countries by approximately 4.1 billion tons.

This year marks the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan period. The proposal for the 15th Five-Year Plan calls for accelerating the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development and building a Beautiful China. Liu Zhenmin pointed out that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China will implement a dual-control system for carbon emissions, limiting both the total volume and intensity of emissions. “The implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan will mark a new stage in China's energy transition.”

On September 24, 2025, President Xi Jinping delivered a video address at the UN Climate Action Summit, announcing China's new round of nationally determined contributions: By 2035, China aims to reduce its economy-wide net greenhouse gas emissions by 7% to 10% from peak levels, striving to achieve even better results. Non-fossil energy consumption will account for over 30% of total energy consumption. The combined installed capacity of wind and solar power will exceed six times the 2020 level, striving to reach 3.6 billion kilowatts. Forest stock volume will surpass 24 billion cubic meters. New energy vehicles will become the mainstream in new vehicle sales. The national carbon emissions trading market will cover major high-emission industries. A climate-resilient society will be basically established.

Liu Zhenmin believes that China's new round of nationally determined contributions will play a historic role in driving the country's energy transition, laying a solid foundation for achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, while also providing a model for global energy transformation.

Actively addressing climate change and jointly safeguarding our planet is a shared responsibility for all nations. According to the white paper China's Actions on Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality, in the realm of South-South cooperation, China had signed 55 memorandums of understanding on climate change cooperation with 43 developing countries by the end of October 2025, implementing over 300 capacity-building projects cumulatively.

Liu Zhenmin stated that as a key participant, contributor, and leader in global climate governance, China will not only continue its relentless efforts in its own energy transition but will also persist in helping developing countries enhance their climate governance capabilities, thereby supporting the global shift toward green and low-carbon development. (Liaoxin News Agency)