By Abdullahi Lukman
The European Union has urged China to take a stronger leadership role in global climate action, particularly by reducing its dependence on coal and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra made the call on Sunday during high-level environmental talks in Beijing, where he pressed Chinese officials to halt the construction of new coal-fired power plants and accelerate the phase-out of coal.
“We do encourage China to take more of a leadership role going forward and really hit the road with meaningful emission reductions in the next couple of years, and also move out of the domain of coal,” Hoekstra said.
China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has been rapidly approving new coal projects. According to a June report by Greenpeace, the country approved 11.29 gigawatts (GW) of new coal power capacity in just the first quarter of this year—surpassing the approval rate seen in the first half of 2024.
Amid this surge in coal expansion, Hoekstra also revealed that the EU is delaying the signing of a joint climate declaration with China unless Beijing makes stronger commitments to emissions reduction.
He emphasized the importance of substance over symbolism in climate agreements, saying, “The thing that is most important about these types of statements is the content that goes into it.”
The EU remains open to collaboration with China, particularly ahead of the COP30 United Nations Climate Conference in Brazil this November, but officials are seeking clear pledges before formalizing any joint statements.