AsiaElec: China pushing EU to up the ante on climate change

China is pushing the European Union to take increased measures in the global fight against climate change.

Perhaps ironically, however, Beijing’s criticisms of European nations come in the same week that plans have been made public showing that China will host around a third of the world’s new coal power installations in the coming years.

Speaking to Jennifer Morgan, a German climate envoy last week, the head of China’s own climate change negotiation team, Xie Zhenhua, said that across the world, management of issues thrown up by climate change was appearing as a result of “multiple challenges and uncertainties.”

He continued: “The climate policies of some European countries have shown a backswing, and it is hoped that this is just a temporary stopgap.”

A media release issued later by China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment also referred to a more direct attack on the EU, with Xie accusing Western governments of increasing their reliance on coal to help offset shortages in gas supply on the back of Russian actions in Ukraine.

In the same missive Xie went on to claim that China was following a greener and lower-carbon course of action, “in contrast with the European Union.”

Neither Xie nor the Chinese ministry made any mention of Beijing in the same week as the signing-off on deals that will see new coal mines open across the country in the next few years.