"China's support for developing countries, including Kyrgyzstan, through South-South cooperation on climate change is critically important today," said a Kyrgyz environmental expert.
BISHKEK, June 5 (Xinhua) -- China's efforts to address climate change and promote international cooperation in this field are of great importance for global sustainable development, a Kyrgyz ecologist has said.
As one of the world's largest economies, China today plays a key role in global climate policy, Anarkul Sultangazieva, the chair of the Green Energy Public Foundation in Kyrgyzstan, told Xinhua ahead of World Environment Day, which falls on Friday.
She noted that China has not limited itself to fulfilling its previously announced commitments but has voluntarily raised the level of its climate ambition through 2035. "As an environmentalist, this inspires me and encourages me in my work," she added.
In September, China unveiled its new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), setting ambitious goals for 2035, including reducing economy-wide net greenhouse gas emissions by 7 percent to 10 percent from peak levels, increasing the share of non-fossil fuels in China's total energy consumption to over 30 percent, and expanding the installed capacity of wind and solar power sixfold from 2020 levels.
The new NDCs also include targets such as scaling up the total forest stock volume to over 24 billion cubic meters, making new energy vehicles the mainstream in the sales of new vehicles, expanding the National Carbon Emissions Trading Market to cover major high-emission sectors, and establishing a climate-adaptive society.
"China is effectively creating a green economy market and accelerating the global energy transition," said the expert, noting this not only helps reduce domestic emissions but also lowers the cost of green technologies worldwide.
She added that any additional commitments under China's NDCs are of paramount importance for achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and limiting global warming.
China's emphasis on climate adaptation is also significant, she said, noting that the world faces not only mitigation challenges but also increasing climate impacts such as droughts, glacier melt, water scarcity and extreme weather events.
"For Kyrgyzstan, China's efforts also have practical significance," she said, adding that developments in renewable energy, electric mobility, energy efficiency and carbon management create opportunities for regional cooperation, investment and technology application.
According to data, China has signed dozens of climate cooperation agreements with developing countries and organized more than 300 capacity building programs, training over 10,000 climate specialists.
The figures show that China is a key partner for the Global South in promoting sustainable development and climate security, she said, adding that through such South-South cooperation, China is advancing the principle of climate justice, which is essential for sustainable development in today's world.
"China's support for developing countries, including Kyrgyzstan, through South-South cooperation on climate change is critically important today, especially for countries that are highly vulnerable to climate risks yet have limited financial and technological capacity to adapt to climate change," Sultangazieva said.
At the global level, she added, such efforts help strengthen international solidarity, increase trust among countries, and accelerate collective action to address the climate crisis.
