China blames unreasonable 'geopolitical issues' for G20 nations' failure to agree on emission cut targets
File photo of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
China said it did not obstruct discussions on tackling climate change at the Group of 20 (G20) meetings last week in India. The foreign ministry in Beijing said that accusations made by a European delegation are "completely inconsistent with facts".
Members of an unnamed European country's delegation had said that China and oil-rich Saudi Arabia had backed away from making emission control-specific commitments at the meeting.
The Group of 20 (G20) nations last week failed to agree on concrete targets to cut dangerous emissions. They released a statement that called out current emission-cutting measures as "insufficient" but did not address how to make for that insufficiency.
Also watch|What transpired between Indian PM Modi & China’s Xi Jinping at Bali G20 meet eight months back?
The impasse on cutting emissions has been the latest in a string of inconclusive international conferences.
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It came days after scientists again raised the alarm, saying human-induced climate change has played an "absolutely overwhelming" role in the extreme heatwaves that have swept across North America, Europe and China.
So what caused climate change agenda's washout in G20 meeting?
According to China, the washout on commitments to reduce emissions was caused by "geopolitical issues" that were purportedly brought up by other nations "for no reason".
China has declined to cut greenhouse gases despite accounting for more than half of global coal production. Beijing argues that its historical and per capita Carbon dioxide emissions are still less than those of Washington.
The foreign ministry said the G20 should build political consensus among the members of G20 nations and "fully respect the different development stages and national conditions of countries".
China has said its emissions will peak by the end of this decade. It has pledged to become carbon-neutral by 2060.
Beijing does not have any plans to begin cutting coal use until 2026.
The United States climate envoy John Kerry visited Beijing last month. His visit was focused on restoring trust between Beijing and Washington and building momentum for the COP28 climate talks in Dubai at the end of the year.
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