President Macron says Europe-China climate cooperation 'decisive'
French President Emmanuel Macron has insisted that cooperation between Europe and Beijing on reducing climate-warming emissions will be "decisive" during his three day visit to China. This, after the Trump administration in Washington has officially filed the paperwork to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.
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The U.S. move is the first formal step in a one-year process to exit the global COP21 pact to fight climate change, part of a broader strategy by US President Donald Trump to reduce red tape on American industry.
However, the move comes at a time when scientists and many world governments
are urging rapid action to avoid the worst impact of global warming on the planet.
At this year's G20 Summit in Osaka, China and France pledged to
"update" their contributions against climate change beyond their current ones to reflect "their highest possible ambition".
The 2015 Paris climate agreement also encourages countries to
make stronger pledges if they are able to do so.
Regret at the US move to withdraw from COP21
Speaking in Shanghai following a keynote address by Chinese President Xi Jinping at a major trade fair, Macron said commitments will need to be enhanced.
"If we want to be in compliance with the Paris agreement, we will need next year to enhance our commitments to reduce emissions, and we must confirm new commitments for 2030 and 2050," he said.
"The cooperation between China and the European Union in this respect is decisive," Macron added. "Next year, we need, in the agenda of enhancement, to be collectively up to the task."
Speaking to reporters earlier, a French presidential office official expressed regret at the U.S. move, and said Macron and Xi will reaffirm their commitment to the Paris agreement.
"We regret this and this only makes the Franco-Chinese partnership on the climate and biodiversity more necessary," the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said.
"The text that will be signed tomorrow includes a paragraph on the irreversibility of the Paris agreement."
Macron and Xi are due to hold a formal meeting in Beijing on Wednesday.
France and China agree on deepening cooperation on tackling climate change
China condemns protectionism, pledges wider market access during Macron visit https://t.co/LRDj6FLC3f pic.twitter.com/7tLSBPbzMg
FRANCE 24 (@FRANCE24) November 5, 2019
10 countries have still not ratified Paris Climate accord
China aims to bring emissions to a peak by "around 2030" and raise the share of non-fossil fuels in its total energy mix to 20% by the end of the next decade, up from 15% in 2020.
The United States is the first country to say it will withdraw from the deal, but 10 other countries have failed to ratify it, including Turkey, Iran and Iraq.
Speaking in Beijing at a daily news briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang expressed regret at the U.S. decision, and said climate change was a common challenge faced by all of humankind.
"All members of the international community should join hands to cooperate, each doing their best according to their ability, to jointly deal with it," he said.
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