Sunlight is reflected off power lines as steam rises from the Miller coal Power Plant in Adamsville, Alabama on April 11, 2021. The United States reportedly registered a 17 percent surge in coal-fired power generation in 2021. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)
BEIJING – China's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that the United States should reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Spokesperson for the ministry Wang Wenbin made the remark when asked to comment on a reported 6.2 percent year-on-year increase of emissions in the US in 2021.
According to reports, a 17 percent surge in coal-fired power generation in 2021 is a major reason for the emission rebound in the US, which made the country go off track to meet its climate goals of 2025 and 2030.
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Wang urged the United States to take action to cut emissions instead of being a "kite-flyer". As a developed country and a major greenhouse gas emitter, the US should stop laying its eyes on other countries and start to focus on its own business, he added.
"The United States needs less empty talk and more hard work."
With concrete actions, China has injected positive energy to global climate governance.
Wang Wenbin, Spokesperson, Foreign Ministry, China
"The emission rebound in the United States reminds us once again that when setting emission reduction targets, we should stay objective and rational, adhere to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and consider different national conditions,” he said.
“We should neither aim too high nor raise targets maliciously to grab the limelight or to limit the legitimate development rights and interests of developing countries," said Wang.
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On combating climate change, China has always been a country of action, actively shouldering international responsibilities commensurate with its national conditions and stepping up efforts to address climate change, he said.
Since September 2020, having over-fulfilled the climate action goals of 2020 ahead of schedule, China announced the objective and vision of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, said the spokesperson. China also set new goals of Nationally Determined Contributions and announced a "1+N" policy framework for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, he added.
"With concrete actions, China has injected positive energy to global climate governance," said Wang.