On April 23, President Xi Jinping delivered a speech to the video summit of leaders in climate and just transformation. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Jingwen

　　Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, April 23　

We will face the challenges of the times and work together to promote global climate governance

——Message at the Leaders’ Summit for Climate and Justice Transformation

(April 23, 2025)

President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China

Dear Secretary-General Guterres,

Dear President Lula,

Dear colleagues:

　　I am very happy to meet online with you to attend the Leaders’ Summit for Climate and Justice Transformation.

　　This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement. Over the past 10 years, although global climate governance has experienced ups and downs, green and low-carbon development has finally become the trend of the times. This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. At present, the world's century-long changes are accelerating, and human society has reached a new crossroads. Although some major powers are keen on unilateralism and protectionism, which has caused serious impacts on international rules and international order, history will always move forward in twists and turns. As long as we strengthen our confidence and strengthen unity and cooperation, we will surely break through the countercurrent and promote the steady and long-term development of global climate governance and all world progress. Here, I would like to share 4 views.

　　First, adhere to multilateralism. The more chaotic the international situation is, the more we must firmly safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law, and firmly safeguard international fairness and justice. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Paris Agreement are the basic legal principles of international climate cooperation. We must uphold the spirit of the rule of law, adhere to promises, anchor green and low-carbon development, and jointly respond to the climate crisis through multilateral governance.

　　The second is to deepen international cooperation. Faced with multiple challenges, the world needs unity and cooperation more than ever. We must transcend barriers and conflicts through openness and inclusiveness, promote technological innovation and industrial transformation through cooperation, and enable high-quality green technologies and products to be freely circulated, so that all countries, especially the vast majority of developing countries, can use, afford and use them well. As a member of the global south, China will vigorously deepen South-South cooperation and continue to provide assistance to other developing countries to the best of their ability.

　　The third is to promote fair transformation. Green waters and green mountains are gold and silver mountains. Green transformation is the only way to deal with climate change and a new engine for economic and social development. Green transformation must be people-centered, coordinated to promote improvement of people's livelihood and climate governance, and coordinate multiple goals such as environmental protection, economic development, employment creation, and poverty eradication. Developed countries have the obligation to provide assistance and support to developing countries, assist global green and low-carbon transformation, and enhance common and long-term welfare of people of all countries.

　　Fourth, strengthen pragmatic actions. It is better to get up and do it than to sit and discuss the Tao. We must transform our work goals into practical results with a systematic policy system and solid action measures. All parties should make every effort to formulate and implement a national action program on the basis of coordinating economic development and energy transformation. China will announce the 2035 national-determined contribution target covering the entire economy, including all greenhouse gases, before the United Nations Conference on Climate Change.

　　Dear colleagues!

　　The harmonious coexistence between man and nature is a distinctive feature of Chinese modernization. China is a firm activist and an important contributor to the world's green development. Since I announced the carbon peak and carbon neutrality goal five years ago, China has built the world's largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system and built the world's largest and most complete new energy industry chain. China is also the country with the fastest and most "green increase" in the world, contributing one-quarter of the world's new green area.

　　No matter how the international situation changes, China's active response to climate change will not slow down, efforts to promote international cooperation will not weaken, and practices to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind will not stop. Let us take the future of mankind as our own, take the welfare of the people as our own, and truly fulfill our common but different responsibilities, do our best to unite and cooperate, and promote the construction of a clean, beautiful and sustainable world.

　　Thank you everyone!

[Editor in charge: Wang Di]