At the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, China called for a united global effort to strengthen early warning systems and enhance climate adaptation capacities. Ding Xuexiang, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s special representative and vice premier, addressed a high-level meeting on Tuesday, emphasizing the urgency of collective action against climate change.
“Strengthening early warning systems for all and enhancing climate adaptation capacity have become increasingly important and urgent,” Ding stated. As a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, he underscored China’s commitment to international cooperation on meteorological early warning, noting that President Xi has made specific requirements on this critical issue.
Ding highlighted the escalating impact of climate change worldwide, with frequent extreme weather events posing unprecedented challenges to people’s safety and economic development. “In recent years, climate change has had an increasing impact globally,” he remarked, stressing the necessity for proactive measures to safeguard lives and property.
China expressed its willingness to collaborate with all countries to advance the United Nations’ Early Warnings for All initiative. Ding proposed three key points to enhance global climate resilience:
- Jointly improving global risk assessment capabilities by promoting the standardization of climate risk assessments, providing scientific support for climate governance.
- Jointly building a global early warning network, sharing technology, enhancing system interconnectivity, and working collectively to improve early warning systems.
- Jointly establishing a climate adaptation partnership. China plans to develop and implement a South-South cooperation flagship project for early warning in response to climate change, supporting other developing countries with meteorological observation equipment, early warning systems, and capacity-building training.
The meeting also featured speeches from COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Climate Action and Just Transition Selwin Hart, World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Celeste Saulo, and Kamal Kishore, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction and head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Their presence underscored the global consensus on the importance of enhancing early warning systems.
During the meeting, China released its “Action Plan on Early Warning for Climate Change Adaptation (2025-2027)“, outlining its strategies to bolster climate resilience domestically and internationally.
As climate challenges intensify, China’s call for strengthened cooperation and enhanced early warning systems resonates with the global community’s urgent need to adapt and respond effectively. The initiatives proposed at COP29 signify a collective step towards safeguarding our shared future.
Reference(s):
China calls for strengthening early warnings for all at COP29
cgtn.com
