At the third CCG Roundtable on April 9, Liu Yanhua, former Vice Minister of Science and Technology, Counsellor of the State Council, Chairman of the National Expert Panel on Climate Change and CCG Advisor, will play a more important role in global governance. China will seek and expand common ground with other countries for win-win results. China’s Belt and Road Initiative will play a role in the international discourse system and China will get more widely involved in global governance.

Liu believes that there are two important things on China’s attitude towards climate change. First, China is committed to green development, whatever changes from the outside. Second, China plays a proactive role in global climate change governance. China is in the middle of profound adjustment. Smog affects people’s life. China has to transform the inefficient growth model and improve the quality of its growth. China won’t change this policy. As a responsible country, China made its commitment in 2008 and 2015 to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Tackling climate change is a global responsibility. China is determined to meet this global challenge and contribute to global governance that is just and equitable.

China, Liu said, will play a more important role in global governance and seek and expand common ground with other countries for win-win outcomes. China’s Belt and Road Initiative play a role in the global discourse system and engage more widely in global governance.

When it comes to international governance on climate change, Liu said climate change is a global hotspot issue. Global warming bears on the future of the planet we call home. It is widely agreed in the scientific community that overuse of fossil fuel in industrialization has resulted in carbon dioxide emissions that go beyond the absorption capability of nature. As a consequence, global temperature climbs up, the sea level rises, glaciers melt and extreme weather occurs. Climate change is far more than an economic and political issue. Climate change negotiations have continued for over 20 years. The Paris Agreement reached in 2015 set the target to limit temperature rise below 2 degrees and encourage voluntary actions by countries to reduce emissions. Starting in 2018, the agreement will be fully implemented in 2023. Technological and resources issues will be tackled. The agreement has been ratified by most countries and enters into force in the international system. The US does not exit from competition in technology and new energy. Many US states are still firm in their position to tackle climate change. New energy development does not an come to end. Trump is still changing. He won’t give up on international competition and market and abandon US technological advantages and market potential.

Liu believed that there are four elements in governance: recognition, control, implementation and implementers. Governance must be conducted through rules. There are four systems for the rules on global governance. First, the UN system. This system was established after the Second World War with consistent principles. It is inclusive and built on sound principles. However, the UN system has been inefficient, with limited binding force. It has evolved into a huge bureaucracy after many years of development. Its operational capability has diminished. Second, the WTO system. This system was built on the rules made by countries which first joined it. Countries that followed must raise the threshold. Much of the trade and commerce still operates on this system. Third, regional systems. APEC, SCO and EU are regional systems and make rules in the region. Fourth, industrial organizations. Aviation and shipping organizations also make rules that have an impact on the industry. Many industrial organizations are very active nowadays. The four kinds of systems make up the basis of global governance. Only by participating in these systems can a country engage in global governance.