Pool Global Forces to Combat Climate Change

The almost 200 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change （UNFCCC） unanimously adopted the Paris Agreement on December 12， 2015 during the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties （COP21） in Paris. The agreement aims to maintain the global average temperature at less than 2°C above pre-industrial levels， to limit the rise in temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels， and to halt emissions into the atmosphere of greenhouse gases by the second half of the century. It is thus expected to reduce ecological risks resulting from climate change and so mitigate humankinds potential survival crisis.

Since the industrial revolution， developed countries have been responsible for about 70 percent of cumulative emissions. Tackling global climate change has consequently been approached on the basis of common but differentiated responsibilities. During the Conference of the Parties held in Copenhagen and Cancún years ago， developed countries pledged to provide US $30 billion during the period 2010 to 2012 as fast-start finance to assist developing countries to tackle climate change. They also committed to the provision of funds rising to US $100 billion per year by 2020. The Paris Conference established that developed countries will provide more finance and technology transfers after 2020 to help developing countries with their green development. Developed countries fulfillment of their commitments to support developing countries was a main theme of the conference.

Climate change is a global issue calling for cooperation from the international community. Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized in his speech at the Paris Conference the need to strengthen international cooperation and so achieve reciprocity and win-win results.

During the Paris Conference， President Xi and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama agreed in a telephone conversation that representatives of the two sides would maintain close coordination with each other during the course of the conference and with other relevant parties and so jointly contribute to a binding Paris Outcome. In September 2015， the two heads issued a joint presidential statement on climate change. Other than that， China also announced joint statements with the EU， France， India， and Brazil， and launched a series of action plans， as well as enhanced low-carbon collaborations.

During the Paris Conference， the Chinese delegation held talks and proactively communicated with delegations from the U.S. and EU in efforts to reach agreement. In addition， it communicated with other BRICS nations and certain other developing countries holding stances similar to China， to ascertain their expectations. China has always held a firm line on the opinions and concerns of developing countries， and has pledged RMB 20 billion towards establishing the China South-South Climate Cooperation Fund， which will help other developing countries combat climate change. Starting from 2016， China will launch cooperation projects on setting up 10 pilot low-carbon industrial parks. It will also initiate 100 mitigation and adaption programs in other developing countries and will provide 1，000 training opportunities on dealing with climate change. While striving to achieve cooperation and win-win results with other developing countries， China is also working hard to fulfill its responsibilities in the international community.