China is mulling a bid to host UN climate talks in 2028, two sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, as it seeks to burnish its reputation as a leader in the fight against global warming.
Beijing has not yet made a final decision regarding the proposal for the COP33 summit, the sources said, nor is there a clear timeline for doing so.
The host does not have to be decided this year.
Photo: Reuters
The UN’s annual climate gatherings rotate among regional blocs. This year’s COP31 is scheduled to take place in Turkey, followed by COP32 in Ethiopia next year.
The 2028 summit falls to the Asia-Pacific region.
In April, India withdrew its offer to host COP33 without specifying a reason. South Korea has previously expressed interest.
The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat said: “We have not been informed by the Asia-Pacific Regional Group on the nomination of the host country for COP33.”
“Regional groups hold consultations first to determine which country from their respective regions would offer to host on behalf of the group. Once agreed, the chair of that regional group formally sends an official nomination to the secretariat,” it added.
China has over the past few years positioned itself as a counterweight to the US.
Under US President Donald Trump, Washington left the Paris climate agreement twice while the administration seeks to boost fossil fuels.
Hosting UN climate talks could thus be an opportunity for China to boost its credentials as a climate leader.
The world’s second-largest economy also has an economic interest as the leading exporter of green technologies, including solar panels, electric vehicles, wind turbines and batteries.
However, hosting the gathering could also cast an unwelcome spotlight on China, which, with its population of 1.4 billion and massive manufacturing industry, is the world’s biggest greenhouse emitter, followed by the US, India and the EU.
Although it has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060, it is targeting only a modest 7 to 10 percent reduction in economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, compared with peak levels.
Another factor that China is considering is the US-China dynamic, one source said.
Climate cooperation had been a key feature of the bilateral relationship under former US presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, and COP33 could spur renewed collaboration if a Democrat is elected in 2028.
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