Joint Statement on Climate Change on the Tenth Anniversary of the Paris Agreement – China Daily Network

Joint Statement on Climate Change on the Tenth Anniversary of the Paris Agreement

The People’s Republic of China and the French Republic (hereinafter referred to as the “Both Side”):

Given the urgency of responding to the climate crisis and its impact on ecosystems, civil society and the global economy,

Recognizing that international cooperation plays an indispensable role in the implementation of the Rio Three Conventions, the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,

Reaffirming the firm commitment to strengthening international cooperation in climate change, upholding multilateralism, and firmly supporting the Paris Agreement and its temperature control target, that is, to control the global average temperature increase below 2°C above the pre-industrial level, and to strive to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level,

Reaffirming the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement as the basic legal compliance and main channel for the international community to cooperate in the response to climate change, ensuring that global climate governance is strengthened under the guidance of the principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, including the principles of fair, common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities,

Emphasizing that the Paris Agreement represents the general direction of global green and low-carbon transformation and promotes climate action on an almost global scale. Welcoming the positive progress made in addressing climate change since the implementation of the Paris Agreement,

Emphasizing that, as stated in the results of the first global inventory, to jointly achieve the purpose, principles and long-term goals of the Paris Agreement, all parties need to inject political impetus into international cooperation in addressing climate change.

Emphasizing the importance of China and France in 2019 Beijing Initiative for Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Change and the “China-France Joint Statement on Strengthening Cooperation on Biodiversity and Oceans” reached by President Xi Jinping and President Macron on May 6, 2024 to meet global challenges,

On the eve of the third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice and on the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, both sides promised:

1. Referring to the results of the first global inventory, we will implement the Paris Agreement in a comprehensive, complete and effective manner. The two sides will strengthen cooperation in energy efficiency and decarbonization in the fields of energy, industry, transportation and construction, including continuing efforts to achieve the transformation of the energy system in a fair, orderly and equitable way, gradually depart from fossil fuels, and actively promote the green and low-carbon transformation of the economy and society.

2. Provide appropriate response solutions to major challenges of today’s era within a multilateral framework. Some countries retreat from scientific consensus and withdraw from multilateral institutions, which will only strengthen our determination and strengthen our actions. The two sides reiterated that, based on the best science available, take into account the different national conditions of each country and accelerate collective action.

3. Strengthen coordination before the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and support Brazil as the President to successfully host a decisive conference. Strengthen communication and coordination on the new round of ambitious national contributions to be submitted. The nationally dependent contributions of both sides will cover the entire economic scope, including all greenhouse gases, and will comply with the goals of the Paris Agreement. At the same time, they will reaffirm the nature of nationally dependent contributions determined by the state, and recall Articles 2, 3 and 4 of the Paris Agreement.

4. Support climate action. Both sides emphasized that climate action can bring opportunities to the global economy in investment, financing, competitiveness, innovation, employment, economic growth, etc., and at the same time it is conducive to improving people’s living standards and health, promoting decent work, a sustainable food system and affordable energy.

5. Promote the implementation of the decision on the new collective quantitative targets of climate funding adopted by the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

6. Conserve biodiversity and ecosystems. The two sides recognize the relationship between the climate crisis and biodiversity loss and will work together to implement the “Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework” to protect ecosystems. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment at the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to curb and reverse deforestation and land degradation by 2030. Both parties promise to promote natural-based solutions.

7. Strengthen global marine protection in accordance with the Joint Statement of China-France on Strengthening Cooperation on Biodiversity and Oceans: Kunming-Montreal to Nice. China will support France in its most ambitious way to successfully host the United Nations Ocean Conference (Nice, France, June 9-13, 2025). The two sides are working hard to promote the early entry into force of the Agreement on Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity Outside Areas of National Jurisdiction (“BBNJ” Agreement).

[Editor in charge: Ma Rui]