Monday

4th Dec 2023

Magazine

China & EU must cooperate on green goals, despite divides

  • The artificial snow/ski slope at this winter's Olympics in China, amidst verdant green scenery (Photo: Wikimedia)
Listen to article

Global warming and extreme weather are common global challenges that concern all of us. It is heartening to see that the EU has taken the lead at the UN Climate change talks in Copenhagen, Paris and Glasgow, thereby given a new lease of life to multilateral efforts to fight climate change.

What's more, the EU is leading the way in pushing the climate goals even higher through its development policies, investment programmes and by providing financial incentives for the green transition.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

Importantly, the Covid-19 pandemic and its social-economic consequences have further boosted the bloc's green ambitions.

However, many of us are watching to see to whether these commitments will be impacted by Russia's war against Ukraine and the worsening geopolitical landscape.

In fact, this sombre moment requires that China and the EU put aside their differences and strengthen their cooperation on the green transition — even if doing so is difficult.

Beijing and Washington have set an example for such cooperation by signing three official climate-related communiques during president Barack Obama's second term — and the Biden administration has also been in discussion with China on issues related to the Paris Agreement.

This illustrates both sides willingness to work together on tackling climate change despite their many other areas of discord.

These US-China conversations should be a reference for policy-makers in Brussels, who may be looking for assurances of Beijing's determination in moving ahead to implement the Paris Agreement and proof of China's commitment to international climate politics.

Brussels and Beijing must work hand-in-hand to ensure that there is no backtracking in collective efforts to reduce carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality in the years ahead.

Importantly, both Beijing and Brussels are turning their international climate pledges into domestic policies.

Just as the EU is trying to do through its Green Deal, China's international pledges of reaching a carbon-emissions peak before 2030, plus achieving carbon-neutrality around 2060 (which were made at the UN General Assembly in September 2020), are being integrated into the country's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development.

By 2030, the share of non-fossil energy in primary energy use will account for around 25 percent in China while EU has set a binding target of 32 percent for renewable energy in the bloc's energy mix by 2030.

According to the document, the central government in China supports the provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions if they have the right conditions to meet these goals ahead of schedule.

EU cutting-edge, but China catching up fast

China has also announced a mega-plan for building 450 gigawatts (GW) of solar and wind power-generation capacity in its western regions, while trying to bring the country's total wind and solar capacity to at least 1,200 GW and to cap its carbon emission to a peak by 2030.

Provincial governments in China are competing with each other in trying to take the lead in meeting these goals, scientists and researchers are actively exploring low-carbon technological breakthroughs, financial institutions are offering ample incentives and businesses are seeking new investment opportunities. Many are keen on cooperating with their European partners on an array of green development initiatives.

The EU hosts many renowned research-based universities, excellent scientists, and many cutting-edge companies, which give the bloc a strong competitive edge on achieving the green transition. The EU should therefore take a closer look at green investment opportunities in China.

In fact, China is catching up fast. For example, several Chinese automakers are planning to sell electric passenger vehicles in the EU. Hopefully, just as China kept its market open for Europe's auto industry, the EU will ensure a market-open policy and welcome those low-emission or green vehicles from China, which will help realise the EU's climate transition.

Such cooperation will be mutually-beneficial, helping to create jobs and expand green research and development.

Responding to demands from European and Chinese businesses, China and the EU should deepen their green partnership and set an example to other countries by promoting fair competition in opening each other's market, sharing new technologies, financing green investment and facilitating exchanges among businesses and scientists.

This will not be easy given the current geopolitical environment and fears in the US and the EU at China's rise. The EU, for example, may turn away from such cooperation as part of its drive for more strategic autonomy and amid calls for protection of its so-called core technologies.

Too many regulatory barriers will also be harmful.

For example, the carbon border tax, included in the EU's Green Deal, may cause unfair and increased tax burden for Chinese and other exporters. In addition, many have also questioned whether the complicated procedure of imposing the carbon border tax is in line with the rules set by the World Trade Organization.

It is a very challenging world, made even more complicated and dangerous by the Russia-Ukraine war. By working together on the green transition, China and Europe can play their part in building a better world and realising a global green dream.

This article first appeared in EUobserver's magazine, War, Peace and the Green Economy, which you can now read in full online.

Author bio

Fu Jing is executive vice-president of the Xiamen Torch Academy, in China's coastal city of Xiamen. He previously worked as a journalist in Brussels and authored Twin Engines of Global Development (2017) and Testing Time (2019) - both reviewing Sino-EU relations.

Analysis

China's carbon pledge at UN sends 'clear message' to US

China's pledge to become carbon neutral before 2060 is "good news" for Europe, but it sends a clear message to Washington ahead of the US election - in which climate change has become a significant aspect for voters.

China backs shutting Ukraine out of Nato

In Munich, Volodymyr Zelensky voiced his concerns that the chances of Nato membership for his country may already have been diminished, because of the pressure from Russia.

Interview: 'Carbon tax' MEP with one eye on Mozambique

Dutch MEP Mohammed Chahim is rapporteur forthe proposed carbon tax on imported goods which is planned to come into force in 2026. It is one of the biggest and most complex legislative proposals Europe has ever drawn up.

War, Peace and the Green Economy

This magazine is about the world's collective and potentially transformational journey towards a green economy. It is also about taking the reader on what we hope is a fascinating "green voyage" across Europe, Africa and China.

Latest News

  1. COP28 warned over-relying on carbon capture costs €27 trillion
  2. Optimising Alzheimer's disease health care pathways across Europe
  3. Georgian far-right leader laughs off potential EU sanctions
  4. The EU's U-turn on caged farm animals — explained
  5. EU-China summit and migration files in focus This WEEK
  6. COP28 debates climate finance amid inflated accounting 'mess'
  7. Why EU's €18m for Israel undermines peace
  8. Israel's EU ambassador: 'No clean way to do this operation'

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  3. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  4. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?
  5. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  6. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  3. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  4. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch
  6. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us