Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the UN and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, delivered a speech at the 2023 Annual General Meeting of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED).
The AGM convened on August 28 in Beijing, offering members opportunities to share views on pressing issues. Established in 1992, the CCICED is a high-level advisory body that aims to enhance cooperation and exchange between China and the global community on environment.
Congratulating China for hosting a successful meeting of the Council, Andersen said the event came at a time when “centrifugal geopolitical forces” appear to be pulling countries further apart. She highlighted a few key takeaways while delivering the speech for the session.
Energy Transitions And Carbon Neutrality
China remains one of the prominent players in the renewable energy market. The Danish environmentalist underscored the country’s “remarkable” success in the field, adding it has both much to be proud of and much to gain.
Despite witnessing a rapid ramping up of renewables, China’s stance around coal plant development remains controversial, however. Although the nation has decided to retire older and inefficient coal plants, recent approvals will boost its coal generation by about 10%.
In light of China’s incredible progress on clean energy as well as the energy efficiency measures and market reforms there, it is worthwhile reviewing whether the recent coal plant approvals are still necessary, Andersen stressed at the annual meeting.
Mining And Minerals
As the world looks to intensify renewable energy transition, the need for metals and minerals will now be more pronounced. Since these resources are scarce, the UNEP official highlighted the importance of circularity policies to ensure the recovery of materials from retired components.
Such policies would reduce the impact of mining on the environment, in addition to relieving some pressure off communities who work in mines “under conditions that are incompatible with human dignity and sustainable development.”
Closing, Andersen sought to emphasise the importance of CCICED as a unique platform for shared learning, stressing the Council holds the potential to become a catalyst to address some of the most pressing issues in China, across the region, and around the world.
