July 14, 2025

EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra, who is in Beijing for high-level talks with Chinese officials, said on Sunday that the world needs China to show more leadership on climate action. In an interview with Reuters, Hoekstra further encouraged China to "really hit the road with meaningful emission reductions in the next couple of years, and also move out of the domain of coal." Just days earlier, he told the Financial Times that the EU is holding back on signing a joint climate action pledge with China "unless China promises to do more to cut greenhouse gas emissions." Such remarks have made us wonder: Does Europe fully recognize China's green progress? And is it showing the sincerity required for deeper climate cooperation?

Over the past decade, guided by its official pledge to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060, China's green transition has gone far beyond words and is firmly rooted in real action. This is exemplified in various facts, from the country's global leadership in green industries and products to the construction of the world's largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system.

In fact, China is already a "green engine" for the world. Last year, China installed more wind turbines and solar panels than in the rest of the world combined. In April, China achieved a significant milestone by generating over a quarter of its electricity from wind and solar power for the first time, according to the UK-based energy think tank Ember. The organization also reported that China's fossil fuel generation in the first four months of 2025 fell by 3.6 percent compared to the same period last year, "a shift that's beginning to show structural signs." Besides, China has continued to report fast growth of green energy exports, including wind and solar equipment.

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https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202507/1338361.shtml