A partial view of the Shichengzi photovoltaic power station in Hami City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, January 6, 2025. /Xinhua
At the United Nations Climate Summit 2025 in New York during the UN General Assembly on September 24, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a video message that resonated well beyond the halls of the UN. Speaking on the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, Xi called on countries to strengthen confidence, assume responsibility and embrace cooperation in tackling climate change, the defining challenge of our time.
In concrete terms, Xi announced that China will cut its net greenhouse gas emissions by 7 to 10 percent from peak levels by 2035. He further pledged to raise the share of non-fossil fuels to over 30 percent of China’s total energy mix, while expanding wind and solar power capacity to six times their 2020 levels, reaching an unprecedented 3,600 gigawatts. In addition, China will expand its national carbon trading system and increase its forest stock volume to 24 billion cubic meters. These steps underscore not only ambition but also accountability in global climate governance.
For the first time, China has committed to absolute reductions in emissions. This marks a milestone in global climate diplomacy, demonstrating that China is prepared to assume its share of responsibility while also supporting the development needs of others.
Xi’s speech highlighted three guiding principles. First, confidence. Green transformation, he said, is the trend of our era. Despite challenges, the world must maintain determination and momentum in implementing new national commitments. Second, responsibility.Developed nations, he urged, should lead in emission reductions while providing financial and technological support to developing countries, in line with the Paris Agreement principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities.” Third, cooperation. Xi stressed the importance of open trade and collaboration in green industries, ensuring that clean technologies and the benefits of green growth are shared globally.
These are not abstract ideas. Already, China leads the world in renewable energy deployment, accounting for more than half of global investment in solar and wind power over the past decade. Its rapid expansion of electric vehicles and clean infrastructure has helped drive down the global cost of green technology, making the energy transition more accessible for all nations.
International leaders welcomed this constructive spirit. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised the progress made under the Paris Agreement, noting that global projections for temperature rise have already dropped significantly thanks to national commitments. But he also emphasized that the world must move “much further, much faster” to secure a livable future.
By placing cooperation at the heart of his message, Xi underscored that climate change is not a competition but a shared responsibility. His call aligns with the urgent appeals of vulnerable nations, from low-lying island states to climate-stricken regions of Africa and Asia, that the benefits of green development must be truly global.
Crucially, Xi’s remarks serve as a reminder that leadership in the 21st century is not only about economic or military strength, but about the ability to galvanize action on issues that transcend borders, such as climate change. It threatens communities in every hemisphere, but it can also unite nations through shared purpose. By advancing ambitious renewable energy goals, promoting forest conservation and expanding carbon trading, China is showing that leadership means turning vision into concrete pathways for change.
Stephen Ndegwa, a special commentator for CGTN, is the executive director of South-South Dialogues, a Nairobi-based communications development think tank.
